Brussels 20.07.2023 “Today we are going to discuss – as always – about [Russia’s aggression] against Ukraine. We will have Minister [for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro] Kuleba” said the EU top diplomat Josep Borrell at doorstep of the Foreign Affairs Council.

EU Ministers of Foreign Affairs meet on 20 July 2023 in Brussels. The meeting is chaired by Josep BORRELL, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The Council discuss Russian aggression against Ukraine; the foreign policy dimension of economic security; and EU-Türkiye relations (pictured).

“But at this moment, and for the third night, Russia bombs and destroys all of the port infrastructure in Odesa [and other coastal cities] and the storages of grain – more than 60,000 tons of grain has been burned. So not only do they withdraw from the grain agreement, in order to [halt the] export the grain from Ukraine, but they are burning the grain. It is the third night [of] massive air attacks against Odesa port and infrastructure that is causing not only civilian casualties, but a big destruction of the grain storage there” the diplomat continued.

“This is a barbarian attitude which will be taken into consideration by the Council today. [During] the talks with [Minister] Kuleba, we will have more information, but what we already know is that this is going to create a huge food crisis in the world.

“If this grain is not only stopped but [also] destroyed, it means that there will be a shortage of food, of grain in the world. So, we will listen to [Minister] Kuleba, we will discuss how to continue supporting Ukraine in the long run – a long term security commitment and guarantees to Ukraine on our side, which means increasing the resources of the European Peace Facility.

“I presented a plan to ensure the financial support for Ukraine in the next years, which will amount to quite an important amount of money. I hope the Ministers will support it. I do not want to give the figures now because I prefer to have first the political agreement of the Ministers. But it is clear that we will have to engage more with Ukraine having a stable instrument, because Ukraine will need support not month by month, but on the long term, [with] a structured and continued support.

“But what is happening in Odesa these three nights is very grave. I will give more details after the Council.

“We will have also a teleconference with Secretary [of State of the United States, Antony] Blinken. We will go back to the China issue after the guidelines provided by the European Council, the Ministers will re-take the paper presented at the Gymnich [meeting] to continue re-shaping our relationship with China.

“I hope that my visit to China – that has been cancelled twice for health reasons – will take place soon after the summer.

“Turkey is again on the agenda. We will also discuss how we retake our relations with Turkey. It was a long time without talking about Turkey, but today Turkey is again on the agenda.

“So, mainly, Ukraine, Russia, [Secretary of State] Blinken, [Minister] Kuleba, Turkey, China and – that is important – the foreign policy implications of economic security.

“Economic security is not just a technological issue, discussing which technologies are a risk, which dependencies have to be controlled or cancelled, but it will affect fully our foreign policy. And that is why the Ministers [for Foreign Affairs] have required [us] to study deeply how do we implement this process, and which are the foreign policy implications of it. So, I think it is very important that the foreign policy of the European Union integrates the economic security dimension”.

The suspension of the grain deal will not lead to a food crisis and an increase in grain prices thanks to sufficient supplies from Russia, the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera writes on Tuesday July 18 adding that grain exports from Russia are exceptionally high.

According to the newspaper, Russia supplies a large amount of grain to the market at reduced price, which contributes to a decrease in global price, so the rise in food prices that was observed a year ago has ended.
Subsequently, the forecast of “food apocalypse” is wrong, the newspaper notes. The publication also reminds that African countries are not the main recipients of Ukrainian grain.