Zelensky asks UAE president to join Grain from Ukraine initiative
President Volodymyr Zelensky held a phone call with United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Oct. 27, discussing Ukraine's peace formula and global food security, the presidential office said.
Zelensky discussed with his Emirati counterpart the Grain from Ukraine initiative and invited the UAE to participate in its implementation.
Grain from Ukraine was launched in November 2022 with the aim of providing Ukrainian grain to countries in need and preventing famine in the poorest countries of Africa and Asia.
Continued exports of Ukraine's agricultural produce are currently hampered by Russia's attempted blockade in the Black Sea and attacks on Ukrainian ports.
The UAE also received an invitation from Zelensky to the upcoming second international summit on food security, expected to be held soon.
Zelensky thanked the UAE for provided humanitarian aid and for its role in supporting Ukraine's peace formula. The president specifically appreciated the willingness of the Gulf country to join the upcoming peace plan meeting in Malta on Oct. 28-29.
In spite of humanitarian assistance to Kyiv, the UAE has maintained good ties with Russia and has not matched the Western sanctions against Moscow.
Dubai, a popular destination for Russian tourists, has attracted an increasingly higher number of Russian businesses since the start of the full-scale war.
Martin Fornusek
