Tag: Press Release

PRESS RELEASE : HRT Taskforce presents recommendations to support future supply
The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 30 August 2022.
- Recommendations are to be taken forward by Department of Health and Social Care to help ensure continued HRT supply meets demand
- Forms part of wider work to support menopausal women access the health and care they need and tackle the gender health gap
Action will be taken to make supplies of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) more resilient as Head of the HRT Taskforce Madelaine McTernan presents her key recommendations to support future management of the supply chain.

The recommendations will inform the work of the department and the UK wide menopause taskforce as Ms McTernan has returned to working full time as the Director General of the Vaccine Taskforce as preparation for the autumn booster campaign ramps up.

Improving access to HRT forms part of the government’s wider commitment to tackle the gender health gap, including support for menopausal women. The Women’s Health Strategy, published earlier this year, includes the menopause as a key area.

Access to HRT has improved following decisive actions to increase supply and manage demand including issuing Serious Shortage Protocols on HRT products to limit dispensing to three months’ supply and allow specified alternative products to be supplied if necessary.

Following positive engagement across the supply chain, suppliers have also moved to secure additional stock and expedite deliveries of HRT products experiencing supply issues. Suppliers are building future capacity to support continued growth in demand.

These combined actions have resulted in improvement in supply of products including Oestrogel gel. The number of packs of Oestrogel delivered to the UK in July was double the monthly average for the first quarter this year demonstrating a very substantial increase.

Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said:

Women’s health is a priority for this government, and we are ensuring everyone who needs HRT is able to access it.

Madelaine’s work and that of her taskforce and the department has been vital, and her recommendations will ensure progress in HRT supply continues.

Core recommendations from the HRT taskforce include:
- Continued dialogue with industry both via continuing the successful model of regular industry roundtables as well as individual engagement
- Continued use of Serious Shortage Protocols when appropriate to manage shortages as steps are taken by suppliers to increase production
- Continued assessment whether NHS formularies may be impacting access to HRT
Taking steps to action these recommendations 12 of the 13 Serious Shortage Protocols (SSPs) in place for HRT have been extended to help provide ongoing stability as HRT products that have experienced supply issues increase stock levels. The department has also established quarterly industry roundtables with key suppliers to ensure continued dialogue and help industry to plan for the future.

Outgoing Head of the HRT Taskforce Madelaine McTernan said:

I am pleased to see the situation with HRT supply is improving across the country. I want to thank suppliers and manufacturers for their engagement and positive action to tackle this serious issue.

I have presented my key learnings on how the department can continue to manage HRT supply and work with the industry as it continues efforts to meet rising demand.

Further recommendations to help ensure continued HRT supply to meet rising demand:
- Improved access to data on prescriptions to more easily see where there are shortfalls between HRT packs prescribed and HRT packs supplied by manufacturers; and
- Taking lessons from the HRT supply chain work to inform broader medicine supply work
Minister for Women’s Health Maria Caulfield said:

We are taking steps across the board to tackle the gender health gap and ensure women can access the health and care services they need – including access to HRT.

I thank Madelaine and her team and I look forward to taking forward her recommendations as part of the ongoing work of the department.

The taskforce has held two roundtables and has ongoing discussions with key suppliers to understand issues and engage on plans to meet demand.

It has issued Serious Shortage Protocols (SSPs) to restrict dispensing of certain products to three months and allow pharmacists to substitute certain products for alternatives.

Following a return to good availability, Premique Low Dose is no longer subject to an SSP. The MHRA, have delivered workshops to ensure manufacturers and pharmacists are aware of guidance to help them manage stock levels and worked with the NHS to understand and communicate the role of formularies (a list of recommended medicines) in terms of access to HRT.

Government has also taken action to reduce costs of HRT. The creation of a prepayment certificate will mean women can access HRT on a month-by-month basis if needed, easing pressure on supply, paying a one-off charge equivalent to two single prescription charges (currently £18.70) for all their HRT prescriptions for a year. This system will be implemented by April 2023.

The Menopause Taskforce, which meets every two months, will continue to tackle issues surrounding the menopause including increasing access to treatment, and ending the taboos and stigmas that still surround conversations about the menopause, including in the workplace.

Dame Lesley Regan has also been appointed the first ever Women’s Health Ambassador for England to support in the implementation of the Women’s Health Strategy and improve women’s experiences of the health and care system in England.
August 31, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : East Midlands local economy to be levelled up with historic billion pound devolution deal
The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 30 August 2022.

Levelling Up Secretary Greg Clark will sign an historic devolution deal with Derbyshire and Derby, Nottinghamshire and Nottingham.
- Historic devolution deal agreed with Derbyshire and Derby, Nottinghamshire and Nottingham with directly elected mayor
- Powers and budgets will be devolved from central government to the East Midlands through a new Mayoral Combined County Authority
- More than £1 billion investment fund over 30 years to help boost employment, families, and schools in the area
Local leaders in large parts of the East Midlands will be given new powers to improve transport, boost skills training and build more attractive and affordable homes through a historic, first of a kind county devolution deal signed with the government today.

Levelling Up Secretary Greg Clark will sign the deal with Derbyshire and Derby, Nottinghamshire and Nottingham, which will see the area appoint a directly elected mayor, responsible for delivering local priorities, backed by a new £38 million per year investment fund, totalling £1.14 billion over 30 years.

The deal delivers on a commitment made in the government’s Levelling Up white paper published early this year to shift in powers and resources away from Whitehall to local communities.

In addition to the agreed funding being under local control rather than control from Whitehall, a new Mayoral Combined County Authority will be created, with control over the core adult education budget, to boost skills in the region, as well as the ability to increase control over transport infrastructure.

The new mayor will also be granted powers to drive regeneration, with compulsory purchase powers and the ability to designate Mayoral development areas and establish Mayoral Development Corporations to promote growth and build new homes.

Levelling up Secretary Greg Clark said:

The East Midlands is renowned for its economic dynamism and it has the potential to lead the Britain’s economy of the future. For a long time I have believed that the East Midlands should have the powers and devolved budgets that other areas in Britain have been benefitting from and I am thrilled to be able to bring that about in Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

I am impressed by the way councils in the region have come together to agree the first deal of this kind in the country, which will benefit residents in all of the great cities, towns and villages across the area of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

Taking decisions out of Whitehall and putting them back in the hands of local people is foundational to levelling up and this deal does that.

The new East Midlands Combined County Authority will also be granted control of over £17 million of additional funding for the building of new homes on brownfield land in 2024/25, subject to sufficient eligible projects for funding being identified, and a further £18 million has been agreed to support housing priorities and drive Net Zero Ambitions into the area.

In a joint statement, Ben Bradley MP, Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, Barry Lewis, Leader of Derbyshire County Council, Chris Poulter, Leader of Derby City Council, and David Mellen, Leader of Nottingham City Council, said:

We welcome the £1.14 billion devolution deal from the government on offer for our region. It’s fantastic news.

We want to make the most of every penny so this can be used to make a real difference to people’s lives.

As Leaders, we have all fought for a fairer share for our cities and counties, and a bigger voice for our area, to give us the clout and the influence we deserve, and to help us live up to our full potential.

This deal would help make that a reality, creating more and better jobs through greater investment in our area, with increased economic growth, better transport, housing, skills training, and an enhanced greener environment, as we move towards being carbon neutral. These are what we all want to see, and we will work together for the common good of the East Midlands.

We haven’t always had the same level of funding or influence as other areas, which has held us back. This is a golden opportunity to change that and put the power to do so in our own hands.

There is a lot still to be agreed, and this is the beginning of the journey, not the end. We’re determined to build on this deal over time, as other areas have done.

This will be the first ever Mayoral Combined County Authority, a new model of devolution provided for in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill. Implementation of this deal is dependent on Parliamentary approval of the Bill and necessary secondary legislation, as well as a public consultation.

This marks another important milestone in the government’s commitment to ensure that every area in England that wants a devolution deal can get one by 2030, as promised in the Levelling Up white paper published earlier this year.

New powers will help to improve local skills which will meet the specific needs of the local economy, helping to boost the region financially. In addition, there will be greater powers to drive regeneration creating more affordable housing for local people, making the area a more desirable place to live, work and visit.

Further information

This will be the first ever Mayoral Combined County Authority, a new model of devolution that includes upper tier local authorities only. Both the government and the upper tier councils place high importance on working with the 15 district and borough councils across the region to ensure their voices are represented.

This new institutional model is subject to Royal Assent of the provisions within the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill – the model was first introduced in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill which is currently progressing through Parliament.

There is a statutory process which includes consultation by the councils of their detailed proposals, ratification by the councils and Parliamentary approval to secondary legislation establishing a combined county authority with the powers outlined. It is hoped that, subject to Parliamentary agreement the first mayoral election could take place in May 2024.
August 31, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : President held a meeting on the current situation in the Kharkiv region and the recovery of the region from the effects of the war

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 29 May 2022.

A working meeting on the situation in the Kharkiv region and Kharkiv was chaired by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The Head of State heard reports from Head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration Oleg Synegubov, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov, the military command and the leadership of law enforcement agencies in the region.

The Head of the Kharkiv RMA informed the President that currently 31% of the region’s territory is temporarily occupied, 5% has been liberated from Russian invaders.

“We are not yet able to fully inspect some of the liberated settlements, conduct full-fledged demining and begin rebuilding critical infrastructure, as shelling continues. Where we can do it remotely – we do it,” said Oleg Synegubov.

According to him, the actions of the Russian army led to the destruction of 2,229 high-rise buildings, of which 225 were completely destroyed. In Kharkiv, the northern and eastern districts of the city suffered the most damage and destruction – 30.2% of the total housing stock.

During the working trip, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, among other things, inspected the destroyed residential buildings in the Saltivka district of Kharkiv.

During the meeting, the President proposed to analyze the feasibility of restoring damaged panel buildings, in particular, taking into account the program of thermal modernization of housing.

“If this is already the case with the war, then it is worth considering the possibility of removing panel buildings across the country, especially in the destroyed areas,” he said.

According to the Head of State, this is also an opportunity to modernize the country and cities, to build modern housing.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that new houses must be built with bomb shelters.

“We have to find funds, credit lines. The state must ensure this in terms of guarantees, and the leaders of cities and regions must find great projects and money,” said the President.

In addition, during the trip, Volodymyr Zelenskyy inspected the administrative buildings of Kharkiv, which were destroyed by Russian missiles.

August 30, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : President held a meeting with members of the Government of Ukraine

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 27 May 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a working meeting with members of the Cabinet of Ministers on topical issues of the executive branch. The meeting was also attended by the Deputy Heads of the Office of the President.

Among the most pressing issues discussed were the situation with the supply of fuel to Ukraine, price control and availability of fuel at gas stations amid growing consumption, economic recovery and preparation of farmers for the harvest campaign.

Officials reported to the President on steps being taken to meet fuel demand and accumulate reserves.

In addition, Volodymyr Zelenskyy was informed about what has been done and what is planned to be done regarding the accounting of destroyed property in order to attract donor funds and confiscated assets of the Russian Federation. He was also informed about the data on frozen Russian funds all over the world.

Particular attention was paid to the preparation of a program for the return of temporarily displaced citizens to Ukraine, in particular the creation of jobs for them. It was stressed that the state must return its citizens immediately.

The parties also discussed the organization of the government’s work regarding the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

Among the important issues of the President’s meeting with government officials were the end of the school year, conducting an external independent evaluation and admission campaign, as well as prospects and proposals for organizing the educational process in the country starting from September 1.

August 30, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : President – Thanks to journalists, we managed to unite Ukrainian society and the whole world

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 27 May 2022.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the entire journalistic community for objectively covering the events in Ukraine since the first days of the full-scale Russian invasion and for conveying truthful information to people around the world. The President made this statement during an online meeting at the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia think tank.

“I want my voice to be heard by the world. Only thanks to journalists we managed to unite the world, and we united ourselves within our state,” the President stated.

According to him, in this struggle of Ukraine against Russian aggression, honest and truthful journalists are no less important than weapons.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he was impressed by the fact that since the first days of the war, 6,000 media representatives from different countries have been constantly working in empty Kyiv.

“I have never seen such a thing: an empty city, civilians left, the military fought and there were journalists everywhere. They have done a great job,” he said.

At the same time, the Head of State stressed that the war is not over, in some areas an active stage of hostilities is underway, and somewhere everything is just beginning. Therefore, Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on journalists to continue working to cover events in Ukraine and bring truthful information to the world, as this brings the victory of our state closer.

“I want to ask you not to leave us, because you are bridges between Ukraine and other countries. This information saves our lives. This is something we can’t live without. This is a great job, and I am thankful to the entire journalistic community. There are no orders here – just say what you see. Tell the truth, and I’m sure we will win. Because the truth will win anyway,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged.

The President also expressed his condolences to the relatives and friends of the media representatives – journalists, cameramen, technicians who died during this war.

August 30, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Pauline Wallace appointed as permanent UK Endorsement Board Chairman
The press release issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 30 August 2022.

Pauline Wallace has been appointed as the first permanent Chairman of the UK Endorsement Board (UKEB).

The UK Endorsement Board was set up to endorse and adopt new or amended international accounting standards on behalf of the UK.

Pauline has held the role of Chairman on an interim basis since September 2020 and has led the establishment of the Board and its early work. This has included the UKEB’s adoption of International Financial Reporting Standard 17 Insurance Contracts, a major new international accounting standard relating to insurance contract accounting which was adopted for use in the UK on 16 May 2022.

Pauline’s 3-year term as Chairman will officially commence on 11 September 2022.

Lord Callanan, Minister for Corporate Responsibility, said:

I am delighted that Pauline Wallace will continue in her role as Chairman of the UK Endorsement Board. Pauline has demonstrated strong leadership during her interim appointment, including overseeing the UKEB’s endorsement and adoption of IFRS 17 Insurance Contracts, a transformative standard for the insurance industry. I look forward to the next 3 years of the UKEB’s work with Pauline at the helm.

Pauline Wallace, UK Endorsement Board Chairman, said:

It has been my privilege to serve as the UKEB’s interim Chairman and to lead it through a successful inaugural year. As permanent Chairman I look forward to working with the Board and all of our stakeholders to continue to build upon the solid foundations that we put in place in 2021 to 2022. I am proud of what we achieved in our first year and confident that the UKEB will continue to maintain the UK’s position as a thought leader and key influencer of international financial reporting.

About Pauline Wallace

Pauline has over 30 years’ experience in accounting standards, both as a practitioner and as a national standard setter in the UK and Hong Kong. Prior to her work with the UKEB, Pauline was a partner in PwC where she established and led the global financial instruments team during the transition of EU listed companies to IFRS and throughout the global financial crisis. She was PwC’s UK head of public policy and regulatory affairs until her retirement in 2013. Since retiring from PwC, Pauline served 2 terms as a member of the FCA’s Regulatory Decisions Committee and is currently a member of the Determinations Panel of the Pensions Regulator. Pauline was a member of the UK Accounting Standards Board from 2010 to 2016 and a member of the ICAEW’s Regulatory Board from 2015 to 2019.

About the UK Endorsement Board
- The UKEB is responsible for the adoption of international accounting standards (IAS) for use in the UK following the delegation of functions relating to IAS under the International Accounting Standards (Delegation of Functions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2021
- the UKEB currently consists of 11 Board members, including Pauline Wallace as its Chairman
- UK-adopted international accounting standards are mandatory in the UK for listed companies when preparing their consolidated financial statements
- further information on the UKEB and UK-adopted international accounting standards is available on the UKEB’s website
August 30, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Tim Smith appointed industry chair of Food and Drink Sector Council

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 30 August 2022.

Tim Smith was appointed as the new industry chair of the Food and Drink Sector Council today (Tuesday 30 August).

He will take up the role immediately and will share the chair with the Government chair, Food Minister Victoria Prentis.

The Food and Drink Sector Council is a formal industry partnership with the Government which works to address challenges faced by the sector and build a more productive and sustainable food and drink system. The Council will also take the on the role of delivering some of the measures outlined in the recent Food Strategy for industry and the Government. The co-chair’s role is primarily to lead and challenge the Council in order to inspire and create change from within the sector, as well as looking for opportunities for cooperation in the wider Government agenda.

Mr Smith takes on the role from outgoing co-chairs Terry Jones and Ian Wright and will be joined by the Food Minister.

Food Minister Victoria Prentis said:

Tim brings an unrivalled experience of the food and drink sector from his time across a number of different organisations and a fantastic enthusiasm to drive forward the council’s agenda of meeting the challenges currently faced by the industry at large.

I want to thank out-going co-chairs Ian Wright and Terry Jones for their expert direction – taking the council through the difficulties of the Covid pandemic and our ongoing recovery.

Tim Smith said:

The food and drink sector is facing challenges which are unprecedented in my time. It is imperative that industry and the Government continue to work in partnership to ensure we have a food system fit for the future.

The Food and Drink Sector Council must help provide the strategic oversight to create that system and I’m delighted to take on the role of industry co-chair. I look forward to working with the Ministerial co-chair to identify the key issues facing the sector and to find practical actions to address them.

Biography

Tim is the Chairman of Cranswick plc. For over three decades Tim had leading roles as CEO with manufacturers in the food sector including Northern Foods, Sara Lee, Express Dairies and latterly Arla Foods where he was plc CEO. In 2008 Tim became Chief Executive of the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

From 2012 until 2017, Tim was Group Quality Director at Tesco. He then acted as a senior adviser to retailers and manufacturers until joining Cranswick.

He has served as a Non-Executive Director at Cranswick plc for three years and since May 2019 has been a Non-Executive Director at Pret A Manager. He sits on the Boards of the University of Leeds, Farm Africa and other charities. Recently he has been the Chairman of the Government’s Trade and Agriculture Commission. He was awarded the CBE in January 2022 for services to food and agriculture.

The tenure of the chair is two years and follows an open recruitment process.

August 30, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Tough new rules confirmed to protect UK telecoms networks against cyber attacks

The press release issued by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on 30 August 2022.

The new telecoms security regulations will be among the strongest in the world and will provide much tougher protections for the UK from cyber threats which could cause network failure or the theft of sensitive data.

The Telecommunications (Security) Act, which became law in November, gives the government powers to boost the security standards of the UK’s mobile and broadband networks, including the electronic equipment and software at phone mast sites and in telephone exchanges which handle internet traffic and telephone calls.

Currently, telecoms providers are responsible for setting their own security standards in their networks. However, the government’s Telecoms Supply Chain Review found providers often have little incentive to adopt the best security practices.

The new regulations and code of practice, developed with the National Cyber Security Centre and Ofcom, set out specific actions for UK public telecoms providers to fulfil their legal duties in the Act. They will improve the UK’s cyber resilience by embedding good security practices in providers’ long term investment decisions and the day-to-day running of their networks and services.

The substance of the final regulations has been confirmed by the government following a response to a public consultation on them published today. The regulations are to make sure providers:

– protect data processed by their networks and services, and secure the critical functions which allow them to be operated and managed
protect software and equipment which monitor and analyse their networks and services

– have a deep understanding of their security risks and the ability to identify when anomalous activity is taking place with regular reporting to internal boards

– take account of supply chain risks, and understand and control who has the ability to access and make changes to the operation of their networks and services to enhance security

Digital Infrastructure Minister Matt Warman said:

“We know how damaging cyber attacks on critical infrastructure can be, and our broadband and mobile networks are central to our way of life.

We are ramping up protections for these vital networks by introducing one of the world’s toughest telecoms security regimes which secure our communications against current and future threats.”

NCSC Technical Director Dr Ian Levy said:

“We increasingly rely on our telecoms networks for our daily lives, our economy and the essential services we all use.

These new regulations will ensure that the security and resilience of those networks, and the equipment that underpins them, is appropriate for the future.”

The regulations will be laid as secondary legislation in Parliament shortly, alongside a draft code of practice providing guidance on how providers can comply with them.

Ofcom will oversee, monitor and enforce the new legal duties and have the power to carry out inspections of telecoms firms’ premises and systems to ensure they’re meeting their obligations. If companies fail to meet their duties, the regulator will be able to issue fines of up to 10 per cent of turnover or, in the case of a continuing contravention, £100,000 per day.

From October, providers will be subject to the new rules and Ofcom will be able to use its new powers to ensure providers are taking appropriate and proportionate measures to meet their security duties and follow the guidance within the code of practice. This includes:

– identifying and assessing the risk to any ‘edge’ equipment that is directly exposed to potential attackers. This includes radio masts and internet equipment supplied to customers such as Wi-Fi routers and modems which act as entry points to the network

– keeping tight control of who can make network-wide changes

– protecting against certain malicious signalling coming into the network which could cause outages;

– having a good understanding of risks facing their networks

– making sure business processes are supporting security (e.g. proper board accountability)

Providers will be expected to have achieved these outcomes by March 2024. The code of practice will set out further timeframes for completion of other measures. The code will be updated periodically to ensure it keeps pace with any evolving cyber threats.

August 30, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : G20 must demonstrate its clear position on Russian aggression – Volodymyr Zelenskyy

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 27 May 2022.

Partner countries are providing significant support to Ukraine in the fight against the Russian invasion, and the G20 must demonstrate its clear stance on the aggressor country’s policy at the autumn summit. This was stated by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy during an online meeting at the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia think tank.

He noted that due to the war, Ukraine’s state budget deficit is $ 5 billion a month. The United States and partner countries provide significant financial assistance to our country.

“Today our partners help us cover (budget deficit): the European Union, separately at the bilateral level – non-EU countries, the United States, Canada, Australia and many other partners. Also financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund. And this is a big job,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The Head of State added that funds have been set up in a number of countries to help IDPs from Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy also said that he had accepted an invitation from Indonesian President Joko Widodo to take part in the G20 summit to be held in the autumn.

He expressed confidence that only partner states, not occupiers, would be represented at the G20 summit.

The President stressed that in order to end the war in Ukraine, all democratic forces in the world must unite their efforts to put pressure on Russia.

“The ongoing war in the center of Europe must end. And this is where the unification of all forces is needed. It is a unification of more than just weapons – all politicians, diplomacy and the world’s major economies. In order not to support the Russian Federation, its business, not to support trade with it, any relations with it until they stop their aggressive policy,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The Head of State is convinced that the G20 should give a clear assessment of Russia’s aggressive policy.

I think the G20 should put an end to this. At least to express its clear position in support of Ukraine,” the President summed up.

August 30, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : The only way to bring Ukrainian grain to international markets is to stop the war or at least all military actions in the Black Sea – Oleg Ustenko

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 26 May 2022.

Ukraine has enough stored grain to meet domestic and international demand until at least the end of 2022, perhaps into 2023, but for this, all military actions in the Black Sea must be stopped. This was stated by Oleg Ustenko, an economic adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a comment to Newsweek.

As the media notes, the blockade of Ukrainian seaports by Russian troops, doesn’t allow Ukraine to sell the country’s excess produce abroad. Before Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine exported more than 6 million tons of grain via the Black Sea each month. Ukraine now has moved its exports to railways and roads, but these do not have the capacity of seaports. In April, for example, only 617,000 tons of produce were exported by rail.

The adviser to the President emphasizes that Russia planned the blockade of Ukrainian seaports from the very beginning of its aggression to create a food crisis in the world and put as much pressure as possible on the West.

“Russia wanted to weaponize food as well,” Oleg Ustenko noted.

“They are playing different cards at one time on the same table: energy, food, plus they have their “military operation” on our land and they’re destroying infrastructure, all our food storage,” he explained.

According to the President’s adviser, Russia is currently firing at any ships that appear in the Black Sea. But if a ceasefire is declared in the region, Ukraine will react quickly and ships with grain will leave seaports.

“If the fighting stopped, we could do that almost immediately because we have access to the main ports,” Oleg Ustenko said.

“My view is that the only way to move this grain to supply international markets is to stop the war, or at least to stop all military actions in the Black Sea,” he emphasized.

August 30, 2022