KYIV, June 17 – Monthly exports of grain and other agricultural products through Odesa ports have recently exceeded 7.5 million metric tons per month – this is an important economic opportunity for Ukrainian farmers, as well as for the economic centers of Ukraine, which allow the country to live and work even during war, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O'Brien said.

"Odesa is a key geostrategic location. The Black Sea is an economic power house. It supplies the food and energy to the world. It is a vital corridor through which goods move, especially such critical commodities like grain and steel. So, Russia tried to stop Odesa from working and tried to stop Ukraine exporting its goods, involving its warships and mines across trade routes," he said at the Black Sea Security Forum in Odesa.