(Bloomberg) -- Ukraine has sent 500 tons of wheat flour to Syria as humanitarian aid, seeking to build ties with the nation after the ouster of its Russian-backed government.
The shipment was announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on the social media platform X on Friday.
Following the collapse of the regime of long-time Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and a partial withdrawal of Russian troops that had supported him, Kyiv is seeking to strengthen relations with Damascus. Earlier this week, Zelenskiy asked the Foreign Ministry to enhance diplomatic engagement with the Middles Eastern nation.
Providing food aid to a war-torn nation is a step Ukraine, a major agriculture producer, has taken before. The country has previously extended similar help to African nations. Syria is estimated to need 1.6 million tons of wheat imports this season, according to the US Department of Agriculture.
--With assistance from Celia Bergin.
(Updates with the link to Zelenskiy’s comment on X.)
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