Today at 17:03
On July 26, at the request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky due to the situation in the Black Sea, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg calls for a meeting of the new Ukraine-NATO Council, The Gaze wrote.
As reported by DW, the meeting will be held at the ambassadorial level. The parties will engage in consultations regarding recent events and discuss the transportation of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea, according to NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu.
In an evening video address the day before, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he had approached NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg with a proposal to urgently convene the Ukraine-NATO Council for crisis consultations amid the security situation in the Black Sea.
“We discussed with Mr. Stoltenberg our steps to unblock and ensure the stable operation of the ‘grain corridor.’ In our cooperation, we have moved to a new, higher level – the level of the Ukraine-NATO Council. And this mechanism can work,” stated Volodymyr Zelensky about his phone conversation with the NATO Secretary General.
In response, Stoltenberg emphasized that the allies will support Ukraine for as long as needed and added that after the NATO summit in Vilnius, “Ukraine is closer to NATO than ever before.”
“We firmly condemn Moscow’s attempt to turn food into a weapon,” stated NATO’s Secretary General.
Recall that on July 17, Russia withdrew from the “grain agreement” and subsequently launched massive missile strikes on port infrastructure in Ukraine and nearby cities.
On July 19, Russia declared the withdrawal of security guarantees in the Black Sea. Regardless of their flag, vessels heading to Ukrainian ports would be treated as carriers of military cargo.
On July 20, Ukraine responded in kind, considering vessels sailing in the Black Sea towards Russian and Russia-occupied Ukrainian ports as transporting military cargoes.
Furthermore, during the past week, Russian forces have consistently carried out missile and drone strikes on southern regions of Ukraine. Specifically, on the night of July 19, Russian forces attacked terminals and port infrastructure in the ports of “Odesa” and “Chornomorsk.” Damage was inflicted on reservoirs and berths in the Port of Odesa, as well as on grain infrastructure of international and Ukrainian traders: Kernel, Viterra, and the CMA CGM Group.
