On March 16th, a panel discussion “The security of the Black Sea as a guarantee of global food security” will take place in Kyiv with the participation of Ukrainian experts, government officials, and agrarians.

During the Munich Security Conference in Germany, the head of the “ANTS” Network and co-founder of the International Centre for Ukrainian Victory ICUV, Hanna Hopko, discussed the importance of freedom of navigation and trade in the Black Sea with British Defense Minister Ben Wallace. The meeting emphasized the acute need for the demilitarization of the Black Sea as soon as possible.

Security in the Black Sea will remain a complex and important task for Ukraine. The war initiated by Russia has significant global consequences felt not only by Ukraine but by the whole world. Every country, without exception, must make efforts to immediately stop russian aggression against Ukraine and prevent hunger in African countries.

In particular, during the discussion they will talk about:

• Food security and external trade

The security of the Black Sea goes beyond regional boundaries and has global significance. The blocking of Ukrainian seaports by Russian occupiers has hindered the export of agricultural products, which is crucial for food security worldwide. This year, according to estimates from farmers, 40% less grain will be sown than last year.

In addition, the inability to engage in external trade results in economic losses. Ukraine’s economy has suffered huge losses from Russian armed aggression, and currently it is difficult to estimate the full extent of these losses since the war is ongoing.

• Demining the Black Sea and demilitarizing of the Black Sea

Except for the narrow passageway cleared in July for the “grain corridor,” the waters of the Black Sea remain heavily mined. The mining of approaches to Ukraine’s shores has already claimed the lives of about ten people. The mining of the Black Sea also poses a threat to the whole world – in Georgia, sea mines were found on the coast that had drifted with the current. The Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow seized in 2014 and which extends far out to sea, is a base for a significant Russian fleet. Ukraine needs F16s to demilitarize the peninsula and ensure the security of global grain logistics.

• Freedom of navigation in the Black Sea

The Black Sea is the “heart” of the wider Black Sea region. The state that dominates in the Black Sea dominates the entire region and is capable of influencing neighboring regions – the Eastern Mediterranean and the Caspian Sea region. After the illegal use of force to seize most of the maritime areas of Ukraine and Georgia (the sea area opposite the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia), the Russian Federation dominates in the Black Sea. From 02/24/2022 to 08/01/2022, the estimated losses inflicted on Ukraine by the maritime blockade of the Russian Federation may exceed $27 billion. After the occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine, as a coastal state, has practically lost the ability to exercise the rights provided for by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in its own waters around the Crimean Peninsula, in the Sea of Azov, and the Kerch Strait. The total area of Ukrainian maritime areas occupied by the Russian Federation in 2014 was approximately 100,000 square kilometers.

Speakers:

• Pavlo Lakijchuk, Head of Security Programs at the Center “Strategy XXI”, retired Captain of the 1st rank;
• Bohdan Ustymenko, expert in international maritime law and navigation;
• Yulia Klymenko, member of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, First Deputy Chair of the Committee on Transport and Infrastructure, Co-Chair of the Maritime Economy and Security NGO;
• Olha Trofimtseva, Ambassador at Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chair of the Assembly of Agrarian Chambers of Ukraine, President of the Ukrainian Agro-Industrial Platform;
• Denys Marchuk, Deputy Chairman of the All-Ukrainian Agrarian Council.

Date: March 16, 2023

Time: 11:00

Language of the event: Ukrainian and English

Organizers: ICUV, ANTS, Ukraine Media Center Kyiv