WASHINGTON – World leaders were quick to condemn the Russian missile attack on a Ukrainian porta dramatic revelation amid a UN-brokered deal that secured a shipping corridor for grain and other food exports.
A day earlier, representatives from the UN, Turkey, Russia and Ukraine signed an agreement to reopen three Ukrainian ports, an apparent breakthrough as the Kremlin’s war against its former Soviet neighbor enters its fifth month.
the deal, signed in Istanbul and ready to be implemented in the coming weeksIt follows a months-long blockade of dozens of Ukrainian ports scattered along the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea.
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The strike in Odessa, Ukraine’s largest port, illustrates another anxious twist in fruitless efforts to mitigate a growing global food crisis.
An adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Russia “predictably useless” in the immediate aftermath of the attack.
“The ink has not had time to dry, but there are two vile provocations: the attack on a seaport in Odessa and a statement by the Russian Defense Ministry that Ukraine’s ports are “dangerous for shipping,” Mykhailo wrote. Podolyak in Twitter.
“Not even 24 hours had passed before these grain terminals, the Odessa territory and the port were attacked,” Zelenskyy told a delegation of US lawmakers visiting Ukraine.
Among those who visited Zelenskyy, Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) said Russian President Vladimir Putin “violated the spirit of that agreement with more missile strikes.”
“He simply cannot be trusted,” wrote Smith, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. in a sentence.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US strongly condemns the Russian missile attack and said Russia bears the responsibility for deepening the world food crisis.
The attack “undermines the work of the UN, Turkey and Ukraine to bring critical food to world markets,” Blinken said in a statement.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres “unequivocally” condemned the missile attack on the port.
“full application [of the deal] by the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Turkey is imperative,” the UN chief wrote.
Bridget Brink, President Joe Biden’s ambassador to Ukraine, urged the world community to hold Russia to account.
“The Kremlin continues to put together the food. Russia must be held accountable,” Brink wrote in Twitter.
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called Russia’s missile attack in Odessa “reprehensible.”
“Hitting a crucial grain export target a day after the signing of the Istanbul accords is particularly reprehensible as it once again demonstrates Russia’s utter disregard for international law and commitments,” Borrell wrote on Twitter.
Famous Spanish chef and restaurateur José Andrés, who brought his humanitarian organization to Ukraine to alleviate the food crisis caused by Russia’s war, also criticized the missile attacks in Odessa.
“Why do they attack grain that needs to be exported? Why? Please stop and let’s feed the world,” wrote the two-Michelin-starred chef and founder of World Central. Kitchena group dedicated to feeding vulnerable communities.
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said the missile strikes were “everything you need to know about offers with Russia.”
“Today, Russian missiles hit the port of Odessa. That’s all you need to know about offers with Russia The world must help Ukraine to fight against the aggressor,” he wrote.
— Reuters contributed to this report.