Lithuania opens transit corridor for Ukrainian grain

Lithuania opened a corridor for Ukrainian grain transit to the Baltic ports, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said on Oct. 3.

"Russia destroys food, Lithuania delivers it," the minister wrote on the social platform X.

"A corridor for grain transit to Baltic ports has been accepted and agreed upon, relieving pressure at the Ukrainian border and increasing supply to Africa and beyond."

On Oct. 3, Ukraine's Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskyi said that Ukrainian agricultural cargo headed for the Lithuanian port of Klaipeda would be checked directly at the port instead of at the Polish border to speed up the transit.

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Ukraine has been seeking alternative routes for its grain exports following Russia's unilateral withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative in July.

As one of the world's leading grain producers, Ukraine's supplies play a major role in feeding countries around the globe, namely in the Global South.

The EU's solidarity corridors, instituted in May 2022, play a major role in shipping out Ukrainian produce, facilitating the transit of over 45 million metric tons of agricultural products.

Other countries have also agreed to aid Ukraine in transporting its grain. Croatia made its ports available to Ukrainian exports, and Romania agreed to expand its transport infrastructure, hoping to transit 60% of all of Ukraine's produce.