Why Russia blocks the export of grain from Ukraine and whether it is possible to bypass it: Zelenskyy's explanation

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that Russia blocks the sale of Ukrainian grain to eliminate a competitor in the market. Ukrainian grain is of higher quality than Russian grain.

He made these statements in an interview with African media. 

"From the very beginning, the grain initiative for Russia is simply a form of market dumping... to block Ukraine and be the sole major exporter in this region... Russia consistently acts this way... to eliminate competitors and increase the price of agricultural products... Russia will continue to do so, regardless of the circumstances, as it aligns with their aggressive behavior... They cannot withstand competition in terms of product quality, but they have found a way to sell without competition, by exerting pressure on countries that have a deficit of a certain product," explained the President.

Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine has not withdrawn from the grain initiative and will continue to send ships.

"We will continue to send ships without violating or departing from this initiative... Now it's the turn: 29 ships... Even before the start of a full-scale invasion, Russia constantly blockaded the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov and violated our territorial waters," he said.

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