The United Nations (UN) Security Council meets this Monday (17) to discuss the war in Ukraine and its impacts. One of the priorities of the meeting should be the grain agreement between Ukraine and Russia.
In July 2022, the UN and Turkey brokered an understanding between the countries in conflict so that grain ships could transit through the Black Sea from Ukrainian ports. However, it will end on July 17, if not extended.
Ukraine is a major global food producer, and the battle jeopardizes access to food in many parts of the world. However, Russia threatens not to renew the initiative.
The European Commission is assisting in the negotiations for the agreement to be extended, and the secretary general of the United Nations, António Guterres, sent a letter to the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, asking for the continuation of the understanding.
The Security Council is made up of five permanent members, who have veto power in voting within the group. They are: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom –which occupies the temporary presidency– and the United States.
Brazil is currently part of the list of rotating members, which also includes Albania, Ecuador, Gabon, Ghana, Japan, Malta, Mozambique, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates.
Weapons shipment and NATO summit
This week, the United States completed the deployment of cluster bombs to Ukraine. Weaponry works by releasing smaller explosives in an area from another device.
It is considered controversial and dangerous, both for the area reached and for the bombs that fail and remain “dormant” in the ground, posing a risk to civilians, such as land mines.
Ukraine managed, after a long period of requests, to receive the devices, and now it is also focusing on joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
The military bloc met between the 12th and 13th of July in Vilnius, capital of Lithuania, reinforcing support for the Ukrainians.
Even with the secretary general of the alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, speaking in favor of Ukraine’s entry and that the process will be facilitated, no formal invitation was made to the country, much less an estimate of when this will happen.
Still, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said they had “removed any doubt” that he would join the bloc.
“For the first time, not only are all allies in agreement with this, but a significant majority in the alliance is pushing vigorously for it,” he added.
Source: CNN Brasil
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