Ukraine requests monitoring mission at Odesa Ports amid Russian strikes
ODESA : Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha held negotiations with his colleagues from the Nordic-Baltic Eight countries, Foreign Ministers Maria Malmer Stenergard (Sweden), Lars Løkke Rasmussen (Denmark), Margus Tsahkna (Estonia), Baiba Braže (Latvia), Gabrielus Landsbergis (Lithuania), Espen Barth Eide (Norway), Pasi Rajala (State Secretary of the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defense), and Martin Eyjolfsson (Permanent Secretary of State of Iceland). Ukraine has asked the International Maritime Organization to send a monitoring mission to ports in the southern Odesa region amid intensified Russian attacks, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Wednesday.
The visit of the Nordic and Baltic diplomats to Odesa followed up on President Zelenskyy’s talks with the leaders of the Nordic-Baltic Eight.
The ministers began their visit by honoring the memory of fallen heroes and laying candles at the memorial to the fallen defenders of Ukraine in Square of Heavenly Hundred Heroes.
Afterward, the ministers visited the Military Medical Clinical Center of the Southern Region, where they interacted with wounded Ukrainian soldiers and learned about the center’s priority needs.
The diplomats also held a separate meeting with leading agricultural exporters, who spoke about the intensification of Russian air terror against Ukrainian farmers, the agricultural sector and port infrastructure.
During the plenary session, the ministers discussed further enhancement of Ukraine’s defense capabilities, strengthening of the air shield, investments into Ukrainian defense industry and Russia’s responsibility for its crimes.
Andrii Sybiha expressed his gratitude to his colleagues for the solidarity visit and unwavering political, military, financial and humanitarian support since the beginning of the full-scale Russian aggression. He also informed his colleagues on the situation on the battlefield, the aggressor’s attacks on the Ukrainian energy system and ports, as well as Ukraine’s priority military and energy needs.
Andrii Sybiha drew the attention of his colleagues to the significant intensification of Russian air terror and attacks on civilian vessels, grain storage facilities, terminals and other port infrastructure.
The Minister emphasized that Ukraine remains a reliable partner and guarantor of global food security even in times of war and called on allies to support Ukrainian farmers.
“Due to our farmers, Ukraine maintains its resilience. We will continue to develop the initiative of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy “Grain from Ukraine” and plan to hold the Third Food Summit by the end of the year,” the Minister said.
The Ukrainian diplomat invited his partners to consider additional assistance in insuring ships and terminals. He noted the high efficiency of the Ukrainian Corridor, adding that since August 2023, more than 2,800 vessels have entered Ukrainian ports and 51 million tons of agricultural exports have been handled.
“Here, in Odesa, the Russian air terror is especially evident. My colleagues were able to see the consequences of the barbaric Russian shelling. In total, during the full-scale invasion, more than 50 Russian attacks against our ports took place, which damaged more than 300 port infrastructure facilities and 23 civilian vessels, and destroyed more than 100 thousand tons of agricultural products,” the Minister emphasized.
According to the Foreign Minister, over the past month alone, Russian strikes have damaged four ships, including those carrying grain for Egypt and corn for Italy, as well as humanitarian cargo from the UN Food Program for Palestine.
“These are the targets that Russia chooses for its attacks – civilian vessels, grain storage facilities, terminals. These are not just attacks on our economy. These are attacks on global food security. Russia is putting millions of people in the world at risk of starvation,” the Minister emphasized.
In this context, Andrii Sybiha announced that Ukraine has officially appealed to the International Maritime Organization to immediately send an international monitoring mission to the ports of Great Odesa amid intensified Russian terror.
“Ensuring freedom of navigation in the Black Sea is our common goal and one of the key priorities of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. We must stop the aggressor, show the unity of the international community in countering its barbarism and record every crime,” the minister said.
During the talks, the Minister paid special attention to the Victory Plan of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Peace Formula. He explained to the partners the logic of Ukraine’s actions and the key elements of the Victory Plan that will strengthen our state and force Russia to end its aggression as well as to agree to restore a comprehensive, just and lasting peace.
The Foreign Ministers of the Nordic-Baltic Eight countries declared their continued strong support for Ukraine and Ukrainian initiatives, the allocation of additional energy assistance packages to strengthen Ukraine’s resilience ahead of winter, and the need to increase the sanction pressure on Russia.
Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergaard announced a joint decision to allocate a winter energy support package for Ukraine from the Nordic-Baltic Eight, which will include equipment to enhance Ukraine’s resilience.
Andrii Sybiha also called for blocking the Russian shadow fleet, which allows Moscow to earn money for the war against Ukraine and threatens to cause an environmental catastrophe in Europe.
Andrii Sybiha thanked the Nordic and Baltic friends for their active participation in the restoration of Ukraine, citing examples of patronage over the reconstruction of Mykolaiv, Chernihiv and Zhytomyr regions, as well as their contributions to national and international funds. The parties agreed to strengthen this cooperation.
The Foreign Minister emphasized the need to hold Russian war criminals accountable for their atrocities against Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.
“My colleagues have had a detailed briefing from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice and the Security Service of Ukraine on the inadequate conditions of detention of Ukrainian prisoners of war by the Russians, torture, abuse, executions and other ill-treatment, which is a gross violation of international humanitarian law, laws and customs of war by Russia,” the Minister said.
Andrii Sybiha called on partners to assist in increasing pressure on Russia, ensuring access of international monitors and medics to Ukrainian prisoners of war, humane treatment and provision of basic needs, as well as facilitating their release and the release of all illegally detained persons.
The Minister expressed his confidence that the support of the Nordic-Baltic Eight countries will help Ukraine to win and return security and peace to its land and the European continent as a whole.ShareTweetPrint