Ukraine is capitalising on one of its greatest assets – grain exports – to take a diplomatic foothold in Syria, a longtime ally of Russia, as Damascus seeks urgent supplies for its granaries.
As the US introduced sanctions waivers allowing deals with Syria's governing institutions, Maher Khalil Al Hasan, the country's new Minister of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection, said it had only enough wheat and fuel to last a few months. He said the country must make new import deals but only after a shift in the sanctions regime.
With Russia's role in Syria increasingly uncertain, the opportunity is there for Ukraine to increase its presence in the Syrian market.
Russia announced in mid-December that it would suspend wheat exports to Damascus, estimated at 1.5 million tonnes a year. The decision was a result of uncertainties about payments after Russia's ally, Bashar Al Assad gave up the Syrian presidency and fled to Moscow after an insurgent takeover.
“Grain donations have become part of Ukraine's strategic toolkit – a calling card,” Ivan Ulises Kentros Klyszcz, a research fellow at Estonia’s International Centre for Defence and Security, told The National. “And for good reason because Ukraine is a major provider of agricultural products, of wheat and flour and related grains across Africa and the Middle East.” In July, Ukraine sent 1,000 tonnes of wheat to Gaza to address the food shortages there.
Last week, Ukraine signalled its readiness to re-engage with Damascus diplomatically, announcing a donation of 500 tonnes of wheat flour, which started arriving on New Year's Day. The UN's World Food Programme issued a video on Tuesday saying food assistance was much needed in a country where one million more people had joined the 7.2 million internally displaced in the November-December period.
Kyiv hopes that the shipment will be followed by many others through its Black Sea Grain Initiative. Mr Zelenskyy wrote on social media that Ukraine hopes to send oil, sugar and meat deliveries. Ukraine cut ties with Syria in June 2022, when the government recognised the independence of the Russia-occupied territories in Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Commercial ties between Syria and Ukraine are likely to recover and trade will resume, said Monika Tothova, senior economist at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation. Vital to these developments will be further easing of international sanctions. Syria's economic and financial sectors remain under sanction, as does Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, the insurgent group behind the interim government in Damascus. On Monday, the US eased restrictions on certain transactions with Syria.
Syria, which became heavily reliant on Russian wheat after a drought in 2008 and the start of a civil war in 2011, will likely be looking at imports from the Black Sea region, where prices are competitive. With a production capacity of four million tonnes of wheat in a good year, Syria used to be close to self-sufficient.
Although Russian and Syrian trade statistics are not public, a large portion of wheat exported by Russia to Syria is believed to come from Crimea, which was annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014. It is estimated that Syria ranks 24th among Russia's wheat buyers. Russia and Ukraine have a combined market share of more than one third of the global wheat trade.
Pre-empting Russian moves
“Although international sanctions tend not to include imports of food and other necessities, the course of action in terms of sourcing imports also depends on whether Syria is reintegrated into the international system of financial transactions,” Ms Tothova said.
“Should that happen, the choice of trading countries will be based on the price asked for the wheat. It could be Ukraine – but it could also be the Russian Federation or [have another] origin, depending on the price.”
Meanwhile, Russia has kept a low diplomatic profile as questions are raised about the future of its military bases in Syria. Moscow evacuated some diplomatic personnel after the collapse of the Assad regime but said its embassy remained open. HTS leader Ahmad Al Shara has said that relations with Moscow must continue. In a recent interview, he described Russia as “an important country”.
The approach of Syria's new leadership under Mr Al Shara has left many wondering what Russia's presence in Syria will look like. Moscow appears to be hedging its bets amid reports that it is moving military equipment from Syria to Libya.
In the meantime, Ukraine is laying out its cards. On X, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that Syria represented an opportunity for his country and its companies. “Ukraine is trying to pre-empt Russian moves with the new leadership in Damascus,” Mr Klyszcz said. Ukrainian Agrarian Policy and Food Minister Vitalii Koval said in a television interview he had been given the responsibility of supporting the Syrian people with a long-term initiative with a “predictable and stable food supply system”.
A crucial part of Ukraine's engagement is the integration of Syria into its “grain from Ukraine” initiative, launched in 2022. The programme involves donor countries buying Ukrainian grain for delivery to countries at risk of famine. It has become an important diplomatic means for Kyiv to address Russian influence, particularly in Africa.
While more than 90 per cent of Syria's population lives below the poverty line, and more than half the population struggles to feed itself, it is not described by international humanitarian organisations as a country at risk of famine.
Beyond grain, Ukraine may anticipate additional opportunities in Syria, particularly in defence. Kyiv has been exploring lifting restrictions on drone exports in an attempt to enhance local production and holds a significant stockpile of Soviet-era weaponry that is becoming less relevant as its military shifts to Nato-standard arms.
Ukraine has been expanding its partnerships in the defence sector, including more recently with India. Extending such partnerships to Syria in the medium to long term would make sense, Mr Kylszcz said.
“Right now, something similar with Syria is unlikely,” he said. “But in the coming years, once Russia's war against Ukraine is over, Ukraine will have a large defence industry that can represent a credible alternative to Russia.”
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Game Of Thrones Season Seven: A Bluffers Guide
Want to sound on message about the biggest show on television without actually watching it? Best not to get locked into the labyrinthine tales of revenge and royalty: as Isaac Hempstead Wright put it, all you really need to know from now on is that there’s going to be a huge fight between humans and the armies of undead White Walkers.
The season ended with a dragon captured by the Night King blowing apart the huge wall of ice that separates the human world from its less appealing counterpart. Not that some of the humans in Westeros have been particularly appealing, either.
Anyway, the White Walkers are now free to cause any kind of havoc they wish, and as Liam Cunningham told us: “Westeros may be zombie land after the Night King has finished.” If the various human factions don’t put aside their differences in season 8, we could be looking at The Walking Dead: The Medieval Years.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Canada
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance: the specs
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 plus rear-mounted electric motor
Power: 843hp at N/A rpm
Torque: 1470Nm N/A rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.6L/100km
On sale: October to December
Price: From Dh875,000 (estimate)
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
more from Janine di Giovanni
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to help
Donate towards food and a flight by transferring money to this registered charity's account.
Account name: Dar Al Ber Society
Account Number: 11 530 734
IBAN: AE 9805 000 000 000 11 530 734
Bank Name: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank
To ensure that your contribution reaches these people, please send the copy of deposit/transfer receipt to: juhi.khan@daralber.ae
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo 4-cyl
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Power: 190bhp
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The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
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Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?
Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.
They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.
“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.
He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
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SERIES INFO
Cricket World Cup League Two
Nepal, Oman, United States tri-series
Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu
Fixtures
Wednesday February 5, Oman v Nepal
Thursday, February 6, Oman v United States
Saturday, February 8, United States v Nepal
Sunday, February 9, Oman v Nepal
Tuesday, February 11, Oman v United States
Wednesday, February 12, United States v Nepal
Table
The top three sides advance to the 2022 World Cup Qualifier.
The bottom four sides are relegated to the 2022 World Cup playoff
1 United States 8 6 2 0 0 12 0.412
2 Scotland 8 4 3 0 1 9 0.139
3 Namibia 7 4 3 0 0 8 0.008
4 Oman 6 4 2 0 0 8 -0.139
5 UAE 7 3 3 0 1 7 -0.004
6 Nepal 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 PNG 8 0 8 0 0 0 -0.458
ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand
UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final
How to become a Boglehead
Bogleheads follow simple investing philosophies to build their wealth and live better lives. Just follow these steps.
• Spend less than you earn and save the rest. You can do this by earning more, or being frugal. Better still, do both.
• Invest early, invest often. It takes time to grow your wealth on the stock market. The sooner you begin, the better.
• Choose the right level of risk. Don't gamble by investing in get-rich-quick schemes or high-risk plays. Don't play it too safe, either, by leaving long-term savings in cash.
• Diversify. Do not keep all your eggs in one basket. Spread your money between different companies, sectors, markets and asset classes such as bonds and property.
• Keep charges low. The biggest drag on investment performance is all the charges you pay to advisers and active fund managers.
• Keep it simple. Complexity is your enemy. You can build a balanced, diversified portfolio with just a handful of ETFs.
• Forget timing the market. Nobody knows where share prices will go next, so don't try to second-guess them.
• Stick with it. Do not sell up in a market crash. Use the opportunity to invest more at the lower price.
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
