The coincidence was too uncomfortable for one voter, who is reported by state media as demanding the candidate change his surname or be removed from the nominations list. With local elections due in the Smolensk region early next year, President Putin's party United Russia has controversially nominated a man who happens to have the surname Zelenskyy.Īlexandr Zelenskyy was picked because he already sits on the local city council.īy coincidence, President Zelenskyy's own father is called Oleksandr. It's not every day that a rural meeting involving Russia's ruling political party gets national attention - but that's what has happened today. The state department's comments come the day after the Wall Street Journal reported that the US is considering various options to ensure Ukraine can export grain, including a "military solution".Ĭiting Washington officials, the newspaper says the US is holding talks with Turkey and other Ukrainian neighbours over how to safely get grain shipped out via the Danube and to nearby Romanian ports. President Putin pledged to send 50,000 tonnes of Russian grain to six African countries, for free, days later. The most damaging attack last month destroyed around 60,000 tonnes of grain, supposedly destined for China, Israel and African nations, in one go. Russia has intensely shelled Ukraine's Black Sea ports, particularly around Odesa, ever since. Tomorrow marks one month since Moscow unilaterally quit the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which is estimated to have facilitated about 30 million tonnes of grain exports from Ukraine in the past 18 months. The White House has criticised Russia's repeated attacks on grain storage facilities and infrastructure around the Black Sea, saying it's a sign that "President Putin does not seem to care about global food security".Ī spokesperson for the US state department called on Moscow to immediately return to the UN-brokered grain deal.
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