Restoring the flow of grain
shipments from Ukraine through the Black Sea is priority global issue, U.S.
State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said at a press
briefing on July 27.
“Of course, we want grain to go to all countries that need it,” Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform quotes Patel.
“And this is not only a regional problem, it is a global problem."
He noted that Ukrainian produce, particularly grain production, is "incredibly important."
"And we continue to call on Russia to rejoin it (the Black Sea grain deal)," Patel adds.
The Black Sea Grain Initiative, signed under the auspices of the United Nations and Turkey in July of the previous year, allowed for the utilization of three Ukrainian ports for food exports. Operations in the grain corridor began on Aug. 1, 2022.
On July 17, Russia officially announced its withdrawal from the grain agreement after an attack at the Crimean Bridge.