The below is attributable to Spokesperson Rebecca Chalif:
Today, Administrator Power met with Ukrainian Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food, Mykola Solskyi to discuss USAID’s ongoing support for Ukrainian agriculture, and the current challenges Ukraine is facing in exporting grain due to Putin’s unprovoked war. The two discussed how the Kremlin’s brutal war of choice against Ukraine has sparked a global food crisis and has been tremendously destructive to Ukraine’s agricultural sector, an integral part of Ukraine’s economy. Administrator Power affirmed that USAID will work with Ukraine and the international community to find solutions to facilitate the export of Ukrainian produce in response to Russia’s blockage of ports on the Black Sea. The two spoke about the negative ripple effects of these port blockages across the agricultural supply chain from planting, to processing, to export of current and future harvests.