Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated today, during a video call at the summit of the Three Seas Initiative leaders in Bucharest, Romania, that "Ukraine strongly rejects any further restrictions imposed by neighboring countries on its grain exports." Five countries—Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia—are seeking to extend a ban imposed by the European Union, which is set to expire on September 15, and some have threatened to impose their own restrictions.
In a separate context, Zelensky condemned a Russian attack that he said "resulted in the deaths of at least 16 people, including a child, and injured many others." He mentioned on Telegram that "a market, several stores, and a pharmacy were hit in an attack on the city of Konstantinovka in eastern Ukraine near the combat zone." The attack coincided with the visit of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Kyiv. Zelensky emphasized that "this Russian evil must be defeated as quickly as possible."
