Zelenskyy: Ukraine to do everything to keep "grain deal" working

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Kyiv will make every effort to ensure that the "grain deal" continues to work.

He accused Russia of wishing to exacerbate the food crisis. The Russian authorities have previously denied such accusations, Kommersant reports.

"Ukraine, for its part, will do everything to ensure that the grain export initiative continues to work," Zelenskyy said in a video message.

The agreements of the Black Sea Grain Initiative ("grain deal" or "food deal") were concluded in Istanbul on July 22. They assumed the opening of Odesa ports for the export of Ukrainian grain and the lifting of sanctions that affected the supply of food and fertilisers from Russia.

Moscow suspended participation in the deal on October 29, explaining this by an attack in Sevastopol on ships that participated in ensuring the security of the grain corridor. The Russian Defence Ministry does not rule out that one of the drones was launched from a civilian vessel "chartered by Kyiv or patrons from the West to export agricultural products from Ukrainian seaports." The Agriculture Ministry said that Russia is ready to replace Ukrainian grain and "make deliveries at reasonable prices to all interested countries".