Zelenskyy to attend EU's special meeting on Russia from May 30-31; food export on agenda

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will attend European Union's special meeting on Russia on May 30 and 31. According to the statement released by the European Council on Friday, it said that President of the European Council Charles Michel has invited Zelenskyy to deliver a keynote address on the situation in Ukraine. Michel said that Zelenskyy will join the event via video link at the beginning of the discussion. "One of our most pressing concerns is assisting the Ukrainian state, along with our international partners, with its liquidity needs. We will also discuss how best to organise our support for Ukraine's reconstruction, as a major global effort will be required to rebuild the country," according to the statement.

Besides, Michel said that the meeting will also focus on the ways to reduce energy dependence on Moscow. Meanwhile, he also asserted that the EU will always provide humanitarian, financial, military and political support to the Ukrainian people and their leadership. "Our unity has always been our strongest asset. It remains our guiding principle," he said. During the event, the statement said that the leaders will also discuss the dramatic effect of war on global food security. It noted that food prices have spiked and several countries are now facing serious risks of famine.

"At our meeting, we will discuss concrete ways to help Ukraine export its agricultural produce using EU infrastructure. We will also see how to better coordinate multilateral initiatives in this regard. Given African countries' acute vulnerability to food insecurity, African Union Chairperson Macky Sall will join us via video link to discuss the topic," it noted. 

Zelenskyy accuses Russia of disrupting even alternative routes of grain export

Earlier in the day, Zelenskyy had again accused Russia of hindering alternative routes used by the war-torn nation to export grain to the whole world. While speaking at the Indonesian think tank 'Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia,' the President said that he wants to avert the food crisis generated by the ongoing war but added that Russian forces are now attacking the alternative route taken by Ukrainian troops. He said that Ukraine has been trying to export food grains to the world market by rail through European ports. Notably, major seaports have been blocked in Ukraine since the initial days of the war. Since then, Ukraine has been exporting grains to the whole world by alternate routes.

Image: AP