Ukraine's Ambassador to Germany, Oleksiy Makeev, has called on the North Atlantic Alliance (NATO) to protect Ukrainian grain carriers, as it did in the fight against pirates in Africa. According to his statement in an interview with the Rheinische Post, free navigation in international waters is an important interest of almost every country.
The ambassador emphasized that Ukraine can supply agricultural products to many countries around the world. Grain from Ukraine is intended to feed 400 million people around the world. However, Russia has now blocked all routes, including the Danube, railways and highways. Therefore, according to Makeev, NATO's protection of Ukrainian cargo and merchant ships passing through the Black Sea would be a good sign, similar to the protection of shipping lanes from piracy by NATO and the European Union in the Mediterranean and the Horn of Africa.
It is noted that at the moment no ship in the Black Sea feels safe and free. The growing threat to the safety of Ukrainian ships' cargo is due to the military conflict with Russia, which has turned the Black Sea into a tense and unstable zone.
It is worth noting that the establishment of a secure corridor for the transportation of grain cargo would be an important step to ensure food security not only for Ukraine but also for other countries that depend on grain supplied from Ukrainian ports. Such protection would contribute to stability and maintenance of the global food balance.
Ukraine is currently making efforts to draw the attention of the international community to the threat posed by the conflict with Russia and the importance of creating an international coalition to protect maritime trade routes and ensure the international right to free navigation. Involving NATO in the protection of Ukrainian grain carriers would be an important step in this direction.
In light of the aggravation of the geopolitical situation and changes in trade routes, ensuring the security of the grain corridor is of utmost importance to Ukraine and its partners in the international community. Addressing this issue requires joint efforts and cooperation of all stakeholders to create stability and prosperity in the region.
e-news.com.ua