By KYIV. July 20 (Interfax-Ukraine) – On Thursday, EU Foreign Ministers will discuss Russia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, long-term financial assistance to Ukraine, relations with China and Turkey, EU diplomat Josep Borrell has said.
“Russia withdrew from the grain agreement. (…) Today, the council is going to discuss this issue in talks with [Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro] Kuleba,” Borrell said before the ministerial meeting.
In addition, according to the head of EU diplomacy, long-term security commitment and guarantees to Ukraine from the European Peace Facility will be discussed. He said more military resources should be provided to Kyiv.
“In this regard, I will present a proposal to increase the capacity of the European Peace Facility,” he said. However, Borrell did not specify by what amount he would propose to increase the facility.
In addition, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will take part in the meeting of the Council of EU Foreign Ministers, with whom they will discuss “reshaping the relations with China.” Also on the agenda of the Foreign Ministers are the relations between the EU and Turkey.
The EU Council will touch upon the impact of foreign policy events on economic security.
The day before, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia is not opposed to the grain deal and is ready to return to it as soon as all the main conditions of the Russian side are met. Among them, in particular, he named the withdrawal from sanctions of the supply of Russian grain and fertilizers to world markets, as well as the removal of obstacles for Russian banks and financial institutions servicing the supply of food and fertilizers, in particular, the immediate connection of Rosselkhozbank to the international banking system SWIFT calculations.
