The aid aims to help alleviate a looming food crisis following the collapse of the Russia-backed regime of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Dec. 8 amid a large-scale rebel offensive.

Ukraine has sent 500 tons of wheat flour to Syria as humanitarian aid, seeking to build ties with the nation after the ouster of its Russian-backed government.

Ukraine, a global producer and exporter of grain and oilseeds, has sent its first batch of food aid to Syria, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday. Zelenskiy said that 500 metric tons of wheat flour were already on their way to Syria as part of Ukraine's humanitarian "Grain from Ukraine" initiative in cooperation with the United Nations World Food Programme.

Ukraine has sent 500 tonnes of Ukrainian wheat flour to Syria as part of the Grain from Ukraine programme. Source: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on X (Twitter) Details: "500 tonnes of Ukrainian wheat flour are already on their way to Syria as part of our Grain From Ukraine humanitarian programme in cooperation with the WFP,