Ukraine must develop alternative export routes, particularly through Moldova to the Romanian port of Constanta, to ensure the fulfillment of long-term contracts and maintain its position in global markets, according to Liudmyla Pokrovschuk, PhD, an expert on foreign and domestic policy.
“We saw this initiative, closely followed the Ukrainian President’s visit to Moldova, a very interesting meeting… This initiative is officially called the Odesa Triangle. What is this Odesa Triangle? It means developing and further expanding logistics specifically through Moldova. That is, we are moving through Odesa region, Moldova, and the ports of Constanta,” she said during a press conference on “Food security in the context of Russian aggression: transforming logistics chains and strategic alternatives” at the Interfax-Ukraine news agency press center on Friday.
Pokrovschuk noted that 1.5 million tonnes of cargo have already been transported through Moldova in seven months, a 35% increase compared to the same period last year. Within the Odesa Triangle, the parties also plan to increase these volumes by at least 10%. Furthermore, the development of this route is of long-term importance. “That is, the Moldovan route won’t be closed. It will exist; if it develops, it will remain for later,” she explained.
Oleksiy Buriachenko, President of the International Institute for Security Studies, emphasized that Black Sea countries should be involved as much as possible in such initiatives.
“Such projects need to be scaled up not only to Moldova, Romania, and Turkey, but also to involve all Black Sea countries and everything that follows our desired logistics routes, not only to Europe, but also to the Middle East, the South Caucasus, and so on,” he said.
During a press conference, Yaroslav Zhalilo, Doctor of Economics, Deputy Director of the National Institute for Strategic Studies, and Head of the Center for Economic and Social Research, noted that alternative logistics requires a state support program.
“We currently have a state program, by the way, to encourage the purchase of Ukrainian-made equipment. This is part of the overall program, which provides for cashback, and there are other options. It’s just very small, its scope needs to be expanded,” he said.
At the same time, military and political observer Denys Popovych, speaking about the possibilities of protecting Ukrainian logistics, is skeptical about the possibility of providing private businesses with their own air defense systems due to the complexity of their maintenance, personnel training, procurement of ammunition, and repair.
“If we have problems procuring air defense systems for state needs, then you can imagine how challenging it would be for a private entrepreneur to try it firsthand,” he noted.
According to him, operating such systems requires extensive training, as well as specialists, ammunition, and repair facilities. “That is, where to buy these systems, where to buy ammunition, where to find specialists to service them,” Popovych explained.