President William Ruto during his visit to Switzerland where he attended the 50th G7 summit and the summit on peace in Ukraine on 13th June met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
In a statement, Volodymyr thanked President William Ruto for participating in the Peace Summit and Kenya’s strong support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“I thanked him for participating in the Global Peace Summit and reinforcing the UN Charter, as well as for Kenya’s strong support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” said Volodymyr Zelensky.
The two discussed the imperative concern of ensuring a stable food supply for the well-being of Ukraine and Kenya.
Volodymyr highlighted the importance of ensuring people have reliable access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food while maintaining open and secure sea routes for international trade and travel.
“We discussed the critical issue of food security, which is vital for both our nations. I also highlighted the importance of President Ruto co-chairing the “Food Security and Freedom of Navigation” panel,” said Zelensky.
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Kenya-Ukraine Food Supply
Further, the two spoke on ways to enhance Ukrainian-Kenyan relations and agricultural export projects and discussed Kenya’s potential role in establishing hubs in African ports for Ukrainian grain.
However, this is not the first time the two presidents addressed the key issues of peace in Ukraine and agricultural trade.
On Tuesday, September 19, 2023, Ruto had his first physical encounter with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, where he conveyed Kenyan position on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, saying that Kenya advocated for a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
On his part, Zelenskyy committed to establishing a grain hub in the Port of Mombasa to address food shortage in East Africa.
This was raised after President Ruto blamed the invasion of Russia on Ukraine for the then-considered high cost of living in Kenya.
Also Read: Why Ukraine War is a Convenient Excuse for Ruto; Experts
Ruto Blames the War for the High Cost of Living
Ruto linked the war to the high cost of living experienced in the country while in the United States during an interview with Al Jazeera on September 24.
“We must bring the conflict to an end. The position of Kenya is that we need a peaceful resolution, a mechanism that will bring the war to a stop because whatever it is, we are all bearing the effects of what that conflict presents for us. High food prices, we cannot pay for and access fertilizers,” said Ruto
In addition, in his October 8 speech in Uganda, the head of state said the invasion had affected not only the cost of living in Kenya but also the whole of East Africa.
