KYIV (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday he has instructed his government to set up delivery mechanisms to work with international organizations and partners to deliver food to Syria in the wake of the fall of President Bashar al-Assad.
Ukraine is one of the world's largest grain and oilseed exporters, exporting wheat and corn to Middle Eastern countries, but not to Syria.
Syria imported food from Russia during the Assad era, but Russian wheat deliveries have been suspended due to uncertainty and payment delays, Russian and Syrian sources said on Friday.
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“We are ready to help Syria prevent a food crisis, especially through the humanitarian program 'Grain from Ukraine',” Zelenskiy wrote on X.
“I have instructed the government to establish food supply mechanisms in collaboration with international organizations and partners that can help.”
Ukrainian exports were hit by Russia's large-scale invasion in February 2022, which severely reduced shipments through the Black Sea. Ukraine has since broken a de facto naval blockade and revived exports from Odessa's southern ports.
(Reporting by Tom Balmforth in Kiev; Additioanl reporting and writing by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Sandra Maler)
