On August 22, the European Union Delegation to Jordan marked Ukraine’s Independence Day with an event that brought together representatives of various EU Member States and other foreign Embassies in Jordan, as well as journalists and Jordanian think tanks to discuss the consequences of Russia’s war of aggression on Ukraine on the MENA region.

Welcoming the audience and guest panelists, the EU Delegation Chargé d’Affaires a.i., Ms. Angela Martini, stressed how the repercussions of the war, now entering into its 18^th month, were felt well beyond the boundaries of Europe. “Be it because of its impact on food and energy supplies, on global security and regional stability, and on information, this war is affecting the lives of citizens all over the world, including in the MENA region and Jordan, and it’s reshaping the world global order.”

The debate also addressed the disinformation campaign of unprecedented scale launched by Russia and its allies since the beginning of the war, and how it has affected people’s perception of the war on Ukraine in the region.

For his part, Luis Miguel Bueno, EU Arabic Spokesperson for the Middle East and North Africa, emphasized the European Union’s efforts to mitigate the impact of the Russian aggression on food systems worldwide. “The European Union is closely working with its international and regional partners to mitigate the impact of the Russian aggression on food systems of countries that were mostly affected. Ukraine was and remains a primary source of food security.”

The European Union responded to the food crises triggered by the Russian aggression on Ukraine, by creating a regional “Food and Resilience Facility” worth €225 million to mitigate the impact of the rising prices of food and commodities in the Southern Neighbourhood partners, including Jordan.

In response to Russia’s actions, the EU continues to support the tireless efforts of the United Nations and Türkiye to resume the Black Sea Grain Initiative. To mitigate the consequences of Russia’s termination of the initiative, the EU is also strengthening Solidarity Lanes as alternative routes for Ukrainian agricultural exports to reach global markets through its territories. These lanes have allowed the export of over 41 million tonnes of Ukraine’s agricultural goods so far, and the EU is working to increase this capacity.