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Statement 

by the Delegation of Ukraine 

at the ECOSOC Special meeting “Safeguarding energy and supply flows:

Supporting global development through international cooperation” 

(15 May 2026)

Mr. President,   

Ukraine thanks the Presidency of ECOSOC for convening this timely Special meeting. 

Today’s discussion is extremely relevant because the world is once again witnessing how disruptions in energy, trade and transport corridors rapidly evolve into broader development crises affecting millions of people far beyond the immediate conflict zones. 

Since 2022, Russia’s full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine has demonstrated how energy, food and maritime routes can be weaponized, generating far-reaching consequences for global development, food security and economic stability. 

Russia’s attacks against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, ports, grain terminals and commercial shipping have directly affected global food security, energy prices, supply chains and inflation. Developing countries, especially food importing countries and vulnerable economies, have suffered the most from these shocks. 

It is therefore important that the Concept Note of today’s meeting recalls the establishment by the UN Secretary-General in 2022 of the Global Crisis Response Group on Food, Energy and Finance in response to the global implications of Russia’s war against Ukraine. This was a recognition that armed aggression against one country can generate profound economic and social consequences worldwide. 

Despite the ongoing attacks by Russia, Ukraine has continued to contribute to global stability and food security. Through the functioning of the Ukrainian maritime corridor, millions of tonnes of agricultural exports continue to reach international markets. Ukraine remains one of the world's critical agricultural suppliers — a country on which food-importing nations in Africa, the Middle East and Asia depend for 30 to 80 per cent of their grain and oilseed imports. 

Since 2022, Ukraine has not only maintained commercial agricultural exports but has also championed a dedicated humanitarian food initiative. Under the Grain from Ukraine programme, which has since evolved into Food from Ukraine, Ukraine has delivered over 335,000 metric tonnes of food commodities to 19 countries, attracting contributions from 29 donor countries totalling over 381 million US dollars. Four successive international Food Security Summits — the most recent held in Kyiv in November 2025 with leaders and ministers from nearly 40 countries — have reaffirmed Ukraine's transition from emergency grain donations to a longer-term vision of food system partnership, focused on technology transfer, joint agri-projects and regional logistics. 

Ukraine's humanitarian food engagement is not a temporary wartime measure. It reflects Ukraine's strategic role as a guarantor of global food solidarity — a country that, even under existential military pressure, continues to feed the world's most vulnerable. This contribution must be recognized and supported as part of a broader architecture of global food security. 

At the same time, current tensions in the Gulf region and threats to navigation in the Strait of Hormuz once again demonstrate the fragility of global energy and supply systems. Any disruption in this strategic maritime corridor immediately affects global energy prices, transport costs, inflation and economic stability worldwide. 

Ukraine is ready to play its part in ensuring the security and stability of energy supplies. Despite the war, we continue to comply with our obligations and supply the oil to European markets. We are ready to use our pipeline infrastructure, including the Odesa-Brody route, to supply oil to Central Europe. 

Our gas transmission system is one of the largest in Europe, while the underground gas storage facilities are the largest on the continent, creating significant opportunities for storage and flexible use of gas resources. We develop cooperation with our partners on regional energy projects, such as the Vertical Gas Corridor, to ensure the stability of international gas supplies. 

Ukraine believes that the international community must strengthen collective efforts aimed at protecting critical infrastructure, safeguarding maritime security, including by addressing the illegal activity of the Russian shadow fleet, and ensuring resilient and diversified supply chains. Investments in renewable energy, energy interconnectivity and sustainable infrastructure are also essential for reducing global vulnerability to future shocks. 

We also underline the importance of supporting countries facing growing fiscal burdens, food insecurity and energy poverty, particularly developing countries and countries in special situations. The United Nations system, international financial institutions and Member States must continue working together to strengthen global resilience and uphold the rules-based international order. 

I thank you.