Ukraine Could Lose a Third of Its Harvest Due to Russian Attacks — Wadeful

Grain exports have been blocked due to targeted Russian attacks on Ukrainian ports. At the same time, one-third of Ukraine’s harvest is at risk of spoiling, which could affect food security in other regions of the world.

“I also spoke about grain exports, which are stuck in Ukrainian ports due to targeted Russian attacks. In Ukraine, one-third of the harvest is at risk of spoiling. At the same time, the world depends on these exports,” said Wadeful.

According to him, delays in shipments could have a particularly serious impact on unstable regions: “If shipments do not get underway in the near future, there is a risk of famine. And it is precisely in regions that are already unstable that this could trigger new waves of refugees.”

Wadeful called this yet another form of destabilization that Russia is promoting through its “ruthless expansionist aggression.”

The German foreign minister also recalled that during a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in New York, he raised the issue of Russian attacks. “I made it clear that we will not tolerate these attacks by Russia and will defend ourselves against any threat to our country’s security,” said Wadeful.

He emphasized that Russian aggression “does not end at Ukraine’s border,” and that Germany also faces Russian threats.

Separately, the minister highlighted the importance of municipal partnerships between the two countries. According to him, it is at the level of cities and communities that decisions are made every day regarding whether electricity and heat supplies, schools, hospitals, and shelters continue to function following Russian attacks.

Wadeful announced that next year Germany plans to organize a roundtable involving mayors of Ukrainian and German cities to facilitate a practical exchange of experiences. “What works on the ground? How can cities and communities support one another? Such an exchange could, for example, help Ukraine on its challenging path toward EU membership,” he noted.

According to Wadeful, the partnership is mutual: German communities can also learn a great deal from their Ukrainian partners regarding the protection of critical infrastructure, preparing for disruptions in energy and communications, civil protection, and countering hybrid threats and disinformation.

This was stated by German Federal Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul at the opening of the 8th German-Ukrainian Conference on Municipal Partnerships on Wednesday in Berlin, according to Ukrinform’s correspondent on the ground.

Russia may harvest over 9 million metric tons of the Ukrainian crop.

Ukraine has harvested nearly 31 million metric tons of grain from the new harvest.