U.S. earmarks $20 mln for Ukraine in support of Black Sea Grain Initiative - ambassador

MOSCOW. Nov 28 (Interfax) - The United States has provided Ukraine with $20 million through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in support of the international deal promoting grain exports via the Black Sea, U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink said.

"$20 million in U.S. support from USAID through WFP [the UN World Food Program] is already shipping grain from Ukraine to those who need it most," Ukrainian media quoted Brink as saying on her social account on Sunday.

Brink said she visited Odessa along with Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Alexander Kubrakov and U.S. State Department Sanctions Coordinator Jim O'Brien.

Kubrakov said he visited the Odesa and the Yuzhny (Pivdenny) ports along with the U.S. diplomats and discussed ways to enhance the efficiency and potential of the Black Sea Grain Initiative with port and agrarian businesses.

"Strategically, we should not only make sure that the Bosporus inspections are conducted more quickly but also that the Nikolayev ports join the initiative and the agreement is extended for at least one year," Kubrakov said.