WASHINGTON DC – Restoring Ukraine’s ability to export grain is a central component of US President Donald Trump’s proposed peace framework for ending the war with Russia, senior US officials told Kyiv Post’s Washington correspondent on Monday.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Michael Waltz said during a briefing organized by the Foreign Press Center that Ukraine must remain “economically viable” under any settlement.
He said that requires protecting commercial shipping in the Black Sea, maintaining operations at the port of Odesa, and ensuring Ukraine can use the Dnipro River to move agricultural products.
“These elements are factoring into the negotiations taking place right now,” Waltz said, referring to talks led by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Asked by Kyiv Post how the administration views Ukraine’s long-term agricultural recovery, Under Secretary for Trade Luke Lindberg said the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) recognizes “the long-term stability of Ukraine is important” and that the US wants “Ukrainian farmers to be successful,” even as the administration prioritizes US commodity exports.
Lindberg stressed that this “doesn’t put us at odds” with Ukraine’s producers.
USDA defends Food for Peace shift
The officials also defended the Trump administration’s effort to move the Food for Peace program, which was formerly administered by USAID, to the USDA.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the USDA would run the program “successfully and efficiently” and aligned with the administration’s “America First” approach.
She said the agency intends to improve oversight and accelerate delivery of US commodities into conflict zones.
Lindberg said the USDA has historically been involved in managing Food for Peace, adding that the department’s core responsibility is to support American farmers.
He said food-aid programs should help countries “graduate” from long-term dependency rather than remain permanent recipients.
Aid purchases and market strategy
Rollins highlighted that the USDA purchased 417,000 metric tons of US commodities in September – more than 16 million bushels – for international assistance programs.
She described the purchases as benefiting both global food-aid operations and domestic agricultural producers.
Lindberg said the administration integrates humanitarian programs with trade strategy.
He added that the US works with UN agencies to build “taste and demand” for American products in developing markets that could eventually transition from aid recipients to commercial buyers.
Lindberg cited Gaza as an example of how the administration is using humanitarian aid to shift supply chains. He said the region has historically purchased from “adversaries” and that US assistance could help move those purchases toward US suppliers.
Earlier in the day, US officials met with the World Food Program, UNICEF, OCHA, and other agencies.
Waltz said humanitarian coordination remains integral to the administration’s broader foreign-policy agenda, which aims to link food security with political stability in conflict-affected regions.