Ukraine is calling on its trade partners to support it with weapons, fuel and financial and humanitarian assistance, and to abandon their neutral position toward the Russian invasion.

Ukrainian Charge d’Affaires in Egypt Ruslan Nechai noted in a press conference Feb. 28 that his country had sent a memorandum to the Arab League asking it to take its side against Russia.

In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Nechai said, "Egypt's commercial and economic interests with Ukraine and Russia will be threatened and disrupted if the war waged by the Kremlin is not ended. Egypt and Ukraine have long-standing relations in terms of food security. Egypt imports wheat, corn and sunflower seed oil from Ukraine. As we speak, cargoes can no longer be transported via the Black Sea, which catapulted prices of imported materials to unprecedented levels. The price of a ton of wheat almost doubled from $230 to $450.”

He noted, “Vessel insurance companies also raised their prices. Moreover, cooperation in the field of tourism will take a bad hit. In 2021, around 1.3 million Ukrainian tourists visited Egypt. Now, the Ukraine airspace is closed for civil aviation and there will be no Ukrainian tourism to Egypt. Meanwhile, the Russians will be under great economic pressure in light of the imposed economic sanctions, which would block the flow of Russian tourists to Egypt.”