EU leaders support expansion of Solidarity Lanes for exports from Ukraine

The European Council, following a meeting in Brussels on Thursday and Friday, has backed Ukraine's efforts to increase its agricultural exports amid Russia's withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative in July.

Source: European Pravda, citing the summit's summary document

Details: The EU leaders stated that Russia's unilateral decision to withdraw from the grain deal, its attacks on Ukrainian grain warehouses and ports, and its blockade of the Black Sea "show that Russia continues to weaponise food and undermine global food security".

They underlined the importance of security and stability in the Black Sea and extended their support to all efforts to facilitate the export of Ukrainian grain and other agricultural products to the countries that need them most.

"The European Council calls for the capacity of the EU’s Solidarity Lanes to be further enhanced to facilitate transit and export to these countries and invites the Commission to propose new measures to that end," the conclusions say.

The EU and Ukraine launched the Solidarity Lanes project in March last year in response to the blockade of Ukrainian ports. Through this mechanism, Ukraine has since exported over 51.5 million tonnes of agricultural products and over 42 million tonnes of non-agricultural products (such as steel and timber).

Ukraine has also set up its own grain export route across the Black Sea and has reached agreements with various countries to facilitate exports of agricultural products.

Read more: More than an anti-crisis measure: the role of the EU’s Solidarity Lanes for Ukraine

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