Volodymyr Zelensky says Moscow’s attempted blackmail has failed as Vladimir Putin was forced to take a U-turn and resume the grain exports deal in Europe.
“Today, we have a significant diplomatic outcome for our country and the whole world – the Grain Export Initiative will continue being implemented. Russian blackmail has led nowhere,” Mr Zelensky said in his address last night.
Vladimir Putin resumed Moscow’s participation in a UN-brokered deal allowing Ukrainian grain exports after he was urged by western officials to “stop using food as a weapon.”
Russia suspended its involvement in the Black Sea Grain Initiative over the weekend, saying it could not guarantee the safety of civilian ships because of a major drone attack on Russian vessels in the Bay of Sevastopol on the Crimean peninsula.
Elsewhere, the US has collected evidence which indicates that North Korea is covertly supplying Russia with a “significant” number of artillery shells for its war in Ukraine, it has been revealed.
Pyongyang was attempting to obscure the shipments by funnelling them through countries in the Middle East and North Africa, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said.
