Zelensky, Guterres discuss Ukraine’s winterization plan, grain export, and Middle East

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine spoke with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, thanking the UN team for preparing a $435 million plan for Ukraine’s winter season and discussing the grain export lanes and latest developments in the Middle East.

The head of state spoke of the meeting via X (formerly Twitter), reports Ukrinform.

"I had a phone call with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. I am grateful for the work of the UN team in Ukraine on humanitarian response, in particular, for the $435 million winterization plan," the president wrote.

He stressed that the UN’s active participation in the implementation of Ukraine’s Peace Formula and willingness to send a representative to the next meeting of diplomatic and security advisers are “very important for Ukraine.”

"After the meeting of advisors in Jeddah, it is also important that the next event be no less successful and produce concrete results. For this, we need to maintain the support of the countries of the ‘Global South’. Ukraine is counting on the UN for this," Zelensky emphasized.

He also shared with the Guterres peculiarities of the functioning of an alternative "grain corridor" through the Black Sea and information on the continuation of Grain from Ukraine initiative, as well as discussed the situation in the Middle East and the necessary humanitarian efforts to help the civilian population.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, Germany is preparing a winter package of military assistance to Ukraine, which will include more air defense capabilities to protect the country’s critical infrastructure against Russian missile and drone strikes.