NATO announced on Wednesday that it would increase surveillance of the Black Sea region in response to Russia’s withdrawal from a deal ensuring the safe passage of ships carrying Ukrainian grain. This decision came after a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council, which was established earlier this month to facilitate cooperation between the Western military alliance and Kyiv.
In a statement, NATO expressed strong condemnation of Russia’s departure from the Black Sea grain deal and its deliberate efforts to obstruct Ukraine’s agricultural exports, which are vital to millions of people worldwide. The statement also outlined the alliance’s plans to enhance surveillance and reconnaissance activities in the Black Sea region, including the use of maritime patrol aircraft and drones.
The agreement, which had enabled the safe export of Ukraine’s grain via the Black Sea for the past year, expired on July 17 following Russia’s withdrawal. The United Nations characterized Russia’s decision as detrimental to people in dire need.
Moscow indicated that it would consider reinstating the deal if its demands to improve the export of its own grain and fertilizer were met.
The NATO statement criticized Russia’s warning that certain sections of the Black Sea’s international waters were temporarily unsafe for navigation. Russia also declared that ships traveling to Ukraine’s Black Sea ports might be carrying military cargo.
“Allies noted that Russia’s new warning area in the Black Sea, within Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone, has created new risks for miscalculation and escalation, as well as serious impediments to freedom of navigation,” the NATO statement declared. Bulgaria is a member of NATO.
NATO also condemned recent Russian attacks on various port cities, including Odesa and Mykolaiv, as well as a drone strike on a Ukrainian grain storage facility in Reni, a Danube port city near the border with NATO-member Romania.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg emphasized, “We remain ready to defend every inch of Allied territory from any aggression.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomed the Council’s clear and unequivocal condemnation of Russia’s departure from the grain deal. He hailed the Council, which was established just two weeks ago in Vilnius, as an effective mechanism for crisis consultations. Zelenskiy pledged that Ukraine would continue to fulfill its obligations in ensuring global food security and expressed Ukraine’s ongoing commitment to NATO membership.
The NATO-Ukraine Council was formed at the alliance’s summit in Lithuania earlier this month. While offering ammunition and weapons to Ukraine, members were unable to consider its membership due to the ongoing conflict.
(Reporting by Andrew Gray, Editing by Ron Popeski, William Maclean)
Credit: The Star : News Feed
