BRUSSELS, July 23 (Bernama-dpa) -- At Ukraine’s request, Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is convening a meeting of the new Nato-Ukraine Council on Wednesday, reported German Press Agency (dpa).
The aim is to “consult on the latest developments and to discuss the transport of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea,“ said Nato spokeswoman Oana Lungescu. The meeting is to be held at ambassadorial level, she said.
Shortly before the announcement, Stoltenberg had spoken on the phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“Good call with President (Zelensky) on Russia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea grain deal. We strongly condemn Moscow’s attempt to weaponise food,“ Stoltenberg tweeted after the call.
“Allies stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes & following Nato Summit, Ukraine is closer to Nato than ever before,“ he added, referring to the Nato summit held in Lithuania earlier in July.
Zelensky said he and Stoltenberg had discussed the implementation of agreements reached at the summit and further steps to integrate Ukraine into the Western defence alliance.
“We also identified with Mr. Stoltenberg the priority and future steps necessary for unblocking and sustainable operation of the Black Sea grain corridor,“ Zelensky tweeted.
At the Nato summit in Vilnius, the 31 members of the defence alliance decided to further intensify cooperation with Ukraine and established the Nato-Ukraine Council, a joint consultative forum to promote the discussion of security issues with Kyiv.