US ambassador to UN visits Ukraine amid ongoing war

UNITED NATIONS

The US ambassador to the UN has traveled to Kyiv on Tuesday to meet Ukrainian officials and "observe evidence of atrocities" committed by Russia amid the ongoing war, her office said in a statement.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield "will observe efforts to document and preserve evidence of atrocities committed by Russian forces and will hear first-hand accounts of survivors," said the statement.

Thomas-Greenfield will also discuss the global food insecurity crisis exacerbated by Russia’s war on Ukraine, underscore the critical need for extending the Black Sea grain deal, and meet with humanitarian groups working to meet winterization needs.

The grain deal was initially signed for 120 days and expires on Nov. 19.

Russia suspended the deal for what it said was a Ukrainian attack on its Black Sea fleet at the port of Sevastopol. It resumed its implementation last week after mediation efforts from Ankara and the UN.

Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed the agreement to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports, which were paused after Moscow's war on Ukraine in February.

Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield and President Zelenskyy discussed international efforts to minimize the impact of Russia’s aggression on global food security, including through sustaining and expanding the UN-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative and ensuring accountability for war crimes and atrocities perpetrated on the Ukrainian people.

She committed to continuing to work at the United Nations to strengthen international support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and to urge Member States to defend international law and the Charter of the United Nations.