Secretary Antony J. Blinken At a Visit to an Agricultural Logistics and Transshipment Partner Facility

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, I’m glad we could give you a real live demonstration today of something, but look, I think one of the things that we’ve seen Russia’s re-invasion of Ukraine in 2022 is a full-on assault on its agricultural production, transportation capacity – attacking production facilities, attacking fields, farmers, and ports and other shipment routes.  And Ukraine has had to adapt and adjust to this, and it’s done so remarkably.  Before 2022, Ukraine had been one of the breadbaskets of the world, and now it remains that, but only because of that incredible adaptation: getting the Black Sea corridor open again and moving the Russian navy out; finding new routes or expanding old ones, like the Danube, like land crossings. 

And all of that has been a result of Ukrainian determination and ingenuity, but it’s also been the result of support that Ukraine’s received from the United States, particularly from USAID, making sure that farmers had what they needed to keep producing, to keep storing, because as things piled up, for example, early on, there was a danger that the crops that were being produced would simply rot away because they couldn’t be shipped out of the country.  So we’ve helped with that.  All of the different ways of shipping produce and the transshipment that you’re seeing here – that’s also been in partnership with the United States and particularly with USAID. 

And all of that has kept farmers going, it’s kept Ukraine going, but it’s also kept the world going, because Ukraine has once again been able to do what it’s done for so long, and that is to feed so many other people around the world.  And it just underscores why this Russian aggression is not only an assault against the Ukrainian people and against Ukraine, it’s been an assault against countries and people around the world who depend on Ukraine for food and other critical products.

So we’re proud of the partnership that we’ve had with Ukraine to make sure that Ukraine continue to do what it’s done for so long not only to feed its own people, but also so many people around the world – and, of course, to provide livelihoods for Ukrainian farmers and everyone involved.  But this is an incredibly collaborate process, but you also see it’s one that is really based on finding new ways to do old things, to adjust to the circumstances of this Russian aggression.  United States will continue to stand by Ukraine, making sure that we do what we can to make sure that it has what it needs to continue to feed its people, to continue to feed the world.  Thanks.