Rishi Sunak said he was “appalled” by Russian strikes on Odesa, as he stressed UK efforts to restore the Black Sea Grain Initiative ended by Moscow in a phone call with the Ukrainian President.
The deal, brokered by Turkey and the United Nations, was broken off earlier this month by Russia in a move that sparked fresh concerns about global food security as the war drags on.
In recent days Russia has also fired dozens of missiles and drones at the Odesa region, a key Ukrainian hub for exporting grain.
In a phone call on Tuesday, the Prime Minister told Volodymyr Zelensky that the UK was working with Turkey to revive the initiative and was continuing to monitor the situation.
A Downing Street spokeswoman said: “The leaders discussed recent developments on the battlefield and the continued progress by Ukrainian forces despite the challenging conditions. The Prime Minister added that he was appalled by the devastation caused by recent Russian attacks on Odesa.
“Discussing the Black Sea Grain Initiative, the leaders agreed on the importance of ensuring grain was able to be exported from Ukraine to reach international markets.
“The Prime Minister said the UK was working closely with Turkey on restoring the grain deal, and we would continue to use our role as chair of the UN Security Council to further condemn Russia’s behaviour.”
According to a read-out released by Downing Street, Mr Sunak said that “Russia was increasingly looking to target merchant vessels in the Black Sea area and the UK was carefully monitoring the situation alongside our partners”.
Mr Zelensky said that the pair “spoke about Russia’s daily attempts to destroy Odesa’s historic centre and port infrastructure”.
“We must defend Odesa. Ukraine urgently needs to strengthen its air defence to protect its historical heritage and continue the Black Sea Grain Initiative.”
