Ukraine and Kenya Collaborate to Establish an East African Grain Hub Addressing Food Insecurity

Ukraine has announced plans to establish "grain hubs" in Kenya and other parts of Africa in order to address food insecurity. This initiative was revealed by President Volodymyr Zelensky's office after meetings with the Kenyan and South African presidents in New York. Ukraine is a major supplier of grain to Africa, but concerns over shortages arose when Russia withdrew from a food export scheme with Ukraine. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2020, global grain prices have increased. President Zelensky accused Russia of weaponizing food and energy in his speech at the UN General Assembly. During his visit to New York, President Zelensky met with Kenya's President William Ruto and South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa. President Ruto stated that Ukraine had committed to establishing a grain hub in Kenya's Mombasa city to address food shortages in East Africa. However, further details regarding the implementation and transportation of grain were not provided. Following Russia's invasion, Kenya has been a prominent supporter of Ukraine, while South Africa has taken a more neutral stance. President Ramaphosa and President Zelensky discussed peace initiatives and the revival of the grain deal during their meeting. President Zelensky informed President Ramaphosa that Ukraine was exploring alternative routes to supply grain to Africa. Russia's withdrawal from the grain scheme prohibited Ukraine from using the Black Sea channel for food and export transportation to Africa and other regions. In July, Russia offered free grain to several African countries, but only if certain conditions were met, such as lifting economic sanctions imposed on Russia.