MOSCOW, March 4. /TASS/. Ukraine exported about 30 million tons of cargo via the so-called alternative grain corridor, the country’s president Vladimir Zelensky said following a conference call.
The "grain corridor" continues to show good dynamics - we are approaching the mark of 30 million tons of cargo, of which more than 8 million tons were exported in February alone. We continue to develop alternative routes: along the Danube and through Moldova," he wrote in his Telegram channel.
Earlier, Prime Minister of Ukraine Denis Shmygal announced a sixfold increase in trade turnover at Danube ports compared to 2021.
The grain deal ended on July 17, 2023. Russian President Vladimir Putin repeatedly pointed out that the West exported the lion's share of Ukrainian grain to their states, while the main goal of the deal was to ship grain to countries in need, which was not done.
On August 10, the Ukrainian Navy announced so-called temporary corridors in the Black Sea for merchant ships heading to the ports of Odessa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny. Nevertheless, Kiev warned that there remains a military threat and a mine threat on the route, so ships whose owners and captains "officially confirm their readiness to sail in these conditions" are allowed to pass.
The UN, which organized the deal, noted that Ukraine's "temporary corridors" cannot replace the grain deal, the volume of exports under which could reach 4 million tons of food per month.