Zelensky discusses with Al-Burhan “the activities of armed groups funded by Russia”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that he discussed with the head of the Sudanese Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, “the activities of illegal armed groups funded by Russia.”

He added on the X platform (formerly Twitter) that he met with Al-Burhan at Ireland’s Shannon Airport in an “unarranged meeting,” and thanked Sudan for its “steadfast support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

“We discussed common security challenges, especially the activities of illegal armed groups funded by Russia,” he said.

Zelensky also stated that he called on Al-Burhan “to support the grain export initiative from Ukraine” that the Ukrainian president announced late last year to help support food security in the world.

Ukraine is seeking to establish safe sea lanes to export its agricultural products, after Russia withdrew in mid-July from the grain export agreement that was signed in the summer of 2022 with Kiev under the auspices of the United Nations and Turkey, and aimed to facilitate the export of Ukrainian grains, vital for global food security.

These sea lanes, which pass along the coasts of Ukraine’s allied countries all the way to the Bosphorus, challenge Russian threats to attack ships entering or leaving Ukrainian ports.

Kiev is seeking to establish supply routes to Africa, which needs Ukrainian agricultural products, and to confront Russian influence, while Russian President Vladimir Putin promised some countries on the continent this summer to deliver quantities of wheat for free.

The production of Russia and Ukraine is considered essential for global food security, at a time when the Russian attack on Ukraine and the international sanctions imposed on Moscow have led to confusion in supplies.