Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President William Ruto held a bilateral meeting on Tuesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City to discuss collaborative efforts on addressing the global food crisis exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
According to a statement published on Zelenskyy’s official website, the two leaders explored specifics on establishing grain export hubs in the Port of Mombasa to facilitate shipments of Ukrainian agricultural products to Kenya and the wider East Africa region. This comes as Ukraine’s capacity to export grain through its major Black Sea ports has been blocked by the ongoing conflict.
“We discussed specific steps to establish grain hubs in Kenya. The Presidents emphasized the importance of stable supply of Ukrainian agricultural products to the region,” the statement read.
Zelenskyy thanked Ruto for Kenya’s support of Ukraine’s territorial integrity amid Russia’s aggression. He invited Ruto to visit Ukraine “at your convenience” to further discuss security cooperation.
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The leaders also conferred on preparations for upcoming high-level summits focused on implementing Zelenskyy’s formulated peace plan and establishing global peace.
In a Facebook post, Ruto confirmed he and Zelenskyy “committed to establishing a grain hub in the Port of Mombasa to address food shortage in East Africa.”
Ruto reiterated Kenya’s pleas for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict, writing that his country “advocates for a peaceful resolution of the Russia-Ukraine conflict to restore stability, alleviate the suffering of the people and stop destruction of property.”
With grain exports from Ukraine disrupted, countries across Africa have experienced sharp rises in hunger and food costs. The establishment of alternative Ukrainian grain export routes through Kenya aims to ease global supply shortages.
