Ukraine Plans to Ship Grain to Syria, Replacing Russian Supplies
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Sunday that his government is working to facilitate shipments of agricultural goods to Syria, which is now governed by Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Until HTS took Damascus last week, Syria was a top recipient of Russian-supplied grain stolen from occupied Ukrainian territories; with the ouster of Russian-backed president Bashar al-Assad, Russia's grain-theft bulkers have halted mid-voyage and are not expected to deliver their cargoes.
During HTS' short and decisive offensive against the Assad regime, Ukraine weighed in on the militant group's behalf, aiming to deal Russia a strategic failure in the eastern Mediterranean. Russian intelligence official Alexander Lavrentyev complained about the presence of Ukrainian operatives on the ground; Ukraine's secret service, the GUR, reportedly provided drone surveillance assistance to HTS units during the push to the capital.
With Assad gone, and with his Russian backers all but ejected, HTS must now govern on its own - with few resources, and with a terrorist-group designation clouding its ability to cooperate with the West. In this context, bulkers of corn and wheat from the "Grain from Ukraine" program could help alleviate potential food shortages in Syria's devastated economy.
Where is Russia going to sell the grain it steals from Ukraine?
— MT Anderson (@MT_Anderson) December 8, 2024
Grain thief Matros Pozynich, not sure where to go after the fall of Syria
Although her destination says Beirut, she almost always goes to Tartus to unload her stolen cargo@exit266 @YorukIsik @kattyfun1 pic.twitter.com/RHCfn8bZqz
"This humanitarian initiative has already made a significant impact in stabilizing the food situation in some of the world’s most challenging regions," said Zelensky. "Now, we have the opportunity to support Syrians with Ukrainian wheat, flour, and oil—our products that contribute globally to ensuring food security."
Zelensky said that his administration is already coordinating with its partners and with "the Syrian side" to make delivery arrangements. "We will certainly support this region so that stability there can become a foundation for our movement toward real peace," he said.