Ukraine exports more than 100M t of goods via ‘solidarity lanes’ - von der Leyen

Ukraine has exported more than 100 million tonnes of goods via the solidarity lanes, more than half of these are agricultural products.

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen stated this at a joint press conference with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“They [the solidarity lanes] have so far allowed Ukraine to export over 100 million tonnes of goods. More than half of these 100 million tonnes of goods are agri-food products. So, Ukraine is feeding the world in these times of scarcity,” she said.

At the same time, according to von der Leyen, the solidarity lanes have already brought revenues of EUR 42 billion back to Ukraine in the past 16 months.

The European Commission head emphasized the importance of the solidarity lanes, as around 65% of Ukrainian agri-food products leave the country via them.

“This is also why we are heavily investing in reinforcing these lanes – this is rail, road and border crossings. Last year, we have pledge EUR 1 billion of investment. And it is good that this amount has already been exceeded. Every effort and every euro is well invested because it anchors the Ukrainian economy in our Single Market,” she said.

As reported, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen made an unannounced visit to Ukraine on November 4

In May 2022, the EU set up "solidarity lanes" on the borders with Ukraine, which allowed Kyiv to continue grain exports to the world market amid Russia's blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports. In July 2023, Russia suspended its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which was launched due to the efforts of the UN and Turkey, leaving the EU's solidarity lanes through Europe's land and inland waterways as almost the only way for Ukraine to continue export and import operations.