Brussels, 25 November 2023 (dpa/MIA) - The European Commission is to provide €50 million ($54 million) to Kiev to repair and upgrade infrastructure in Ukrainian ports in an attempt to increase food exports.

"Improved port capacities will speed up exports of food and other goods which Ukraine supplies to global markets," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote in a letter to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

"Over time, our investment should allow Ukraine's ports to return to export quantities that were in place before the war," it read.

The announcement came as Kiev holds an international summit on food security.

Ukraine is one of the world's largest grain exporters.

Since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which included a naval blockade of Ukraine's Black Sea ports, Ukraine has been struggling to bring its products to markets.

Harbour infrastructure that is key to exports has also been repeatedly attacked by Russia.