Kyiv is looking for cooperation military patrol in Black Sea countries to continue export grain in its ports after Russia withdrew from an agreement guaranteeing the safety of cargo ships, an aide to Ukrainian President Mykhailo Podolyak told AFP on Wednesday.
“Discussions are still ongoing at all levels. The work of the UN should be extended here to create a military force that can include countries that are related to the region, for example Turkey, Bulgaria or any others,” said Podolyak in an interview.
The official also told the AFP news agency that Ukraine’s military needs an additional 300 armored vehicles and more F-16 fighter jets to speed up efforts to capture Russian forces from strongholds in the south and east of the country.
“Of course, we need additional armored vehicles — two or three hundred tanks first. We need 60 to 80 F-16s to cover the airspace effectively, especially in the areas near the front.”
“Undoubtedly, the process will be very difficult, long and will take a lot of time. But, at the moment, Russia has no way, for example, to take action. This is obvious,” said the official, Mykhailo Podolyak.
Any cooperation with Russia to end the war in Ukraine will “destroy” Kyiv as Moscow “hates” Ukraine and wants to restore the Soviet Union, presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak told AFP.
“For us, the conflict does not exist because Russia hates us, it came to destroy the idea of the Ukrainian state,” said Podolyak. “Cooperation would lead to the gradual destruction of Ukraine and its culture” and “a return to the Soviet Union,” he added.
Ukraine is establishing a temporary transit system to prevent grain exports after Russia abandoned a deal to allow Ukrainian exports through the UN-protected Black Sea route, Kyiv said on Wednesday.
Russia attacked Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Odesa for the second night in a row on Tuesday after abandoning a deal on Monday, which also included withdrawing Moscow’s assurances that it would go smoothly.
In an official letter dated July 18 sent to the UN, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Ukraine stated that it “decided to temporarily establish an official maritime channel”.
“The goal is to facilitate the opening of international shipping in the northwest of the Black Sea,” he said. Vasyl ShkurakovUkraine’s working minister of regions, regions and infrastructure development, he said in the letter.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the Black Sea grain deal can continue without Russia’s involvement, and that Ukraine is working to meet its food commitments.
There are “a number of proposals floating around” to help get Ukrainian and Russian crops and fertilizers to international markets, the United Nations said on Tuesday.
Ukraine added in a letter to the IMO that it created “methods” to provide “guarantees of compensation for damage” to charterers, shipowners and ship owners “caused by the aggression of the Russian Federation”.
It said that this will be provided when commercial ships are on the coast of Ukraine or when such ships are going to or from open ports of the country to carry goods.
However, since Russia withdrew from the agreement, insurers have been reassessing their interest in reimbursing ships bound for Ukraine.
Cargo insurance that covered shipping costs through the previous contract has been suspended, the policy’s broker Marsh told Reuters on Tuesday.
Norwegian insurance group DNK, which provides war risk policies, told Reuters news agency on Wednesday that it was unable to provide cover to Ukraine due to a suspension.
Additional war risk insurance premiums, which are paid when entering the Black Sea region, need to be renewed every seven days.
It has already cost tens of thousands of dollars and is expected to rise, as ship owners can ensure that they will not allow their ships to enter the war zone without Russia’s agreement. There is also the risk of floating mines.
“In that case, every underwriter will want to take their position, their prices and their records,” said the insurer.
“It will go down if the price is high enough and the risk is seen as feasible.”
(With input from organizations)
“Discussions are still ongoing at all levels. The work of the UN should be extended here to create a military force that can include countries that are related to the region, for example Turkey, Bulgaria or any others,” said Podolyak in an interview.
The official also told the AFP news agency that Ukraine’s military needs an additional 300 armored vehicles and more F-16 fighter jets to speed up efforts to capture Russian forces from strongholds in the south and east of the country.
“Of course, we need additional armored vehicles — two or three hundred tanks first. We need 60 to 80 F-16s to cover the airspace effectively, especially in the areas near the front.”
“Undoubtedly, the process will be very difficult, long and will take a lot of time. But, at the moment, Russia has no way, for example, to take action. This is obvious,” said the official, Mykhailo Podolyak.
Any cooperation with Russia to end the war in Ukraine will “destroy” Kyiv as Moscow “hates” Ukraine and wants to restore the Soviet Union, presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak told AFP.
“For us, the conflict does not exist because Russia hates us, it came to destroy the idea of the Ukrainian state,” said Podolyak. “Cooperation would lead to the gradual destruction of Ukraine and its culture” and “a return to the Soviet Union,” he added.
Ukraine is establishing a temporary transit system to prevent grain exports after Russia abandoned a deal to allow Ukrainian exports through the UN-protected Black Sea route, Kyiv said on Wednesday.
Russia attacked Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Odesa for the second night in a row on Tuesday after abandoning a deal on Monday, which also included withdrawing Moscow’s assurances that it would go smoothly.
In an official letter dated July 18 sent to the UN, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Ukraine stated that it “decided to temporarily establish an official maritime channel”.
“The goal is to facilitate the opening of international shipping in the northwest of the Black Sea,” he said. Vasyl ShkurakovUkraine’s working minister of regions, regions and infrastructure development, he said in the letter.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the Black Sea grain deal can continue without Russia’s involvement, and that Ukraine is working to meet its food commitments.
There are “a number of proposals floating around” to help get Ukrainian and Russian crops and fertilizers to international markets, the United Nations said on Tuesday.
Ukraine added in a letter to the IMO that it created “methods” to provide “guarantees of compensation for damage” to charterers, shipowners and ship owners “caused by the aggression of the Russian Federation”.
It said that this will be provided when commercial ships are on the coast of Ukraine or when such ships are going to or from open ports of the country to carry goods.
However, since Russia withdrew from the agreement, insurers have been reassessing their interest in reimbursing ships bound for Ukraine.
Cargo insurance that covered shipping costs through the previous contract has been suspended, the policy’s broker Marsh told Reuters on Tuesday.
Norwegian insurance group DNK, which provides war risk policies, told Reuters news agency on Wednesday that it was unable to provide cover to Ukraine due to a suspension.
Additional war risk insurance premiums, which are paid when entering the Black Sea region, need to be renewed every seven days.
It has already cost tens of thousands of dollars and is expected to rise, as ship owners can ensure that they will not allow their ships to enter the war zone without Russia’s agreement. There is also the risk of floating mines.
“In that case, every underwriter will want to take their position, their prices and their records,” said the insurer.
“It will go down if the price is high enough and the risk is seen as feasible.”
(With input from organizations)