Ukraine Ready to Help Algeria Clean Up the Legacy of French Nuclear Tests

Ukrainian Ambassador to Algeria Oleksandr Voronin has revealed that his country exported 2.5 million tonnes of wheat to Algeria last year, while Algeria’s total wheat imports are estimated at 9 million tonnes.

The ambassador also told Echorouk that Ukraine is ready to share its expertise and assist Algeria in cleaning up sites in the desert contaminated by nuclear radiation due to the French nuclear tests during the colonial era, particularly in the Reggane region. He stressed that Ukraine is seeking to expand agricultural trade and investment with Algeria.

The Ukrainian ambassador made the remarks during a meeting with representatives of Algeria’s national media at the Ukrainian Embassy. Voronin also highlighted the strength of relations between Algeria and Kyiv, recalling that Algeria was among the first countries to recognize Ukraine’s independence in 1991.

Kyiv is now seeking to further strengthen those ties, particularly in the economic and agricultural sectors. According to figures provided by the ambassador, bilateral trade reached $736 million in 2025.

At the same time, the Ukrainian diplomat said wheat prices had tripled as a result of the ongoing war, noting that Ukraine’s export infrastructure had been damaged, particularly grain storage and port facilities.

The ambassador called on Algeria to play a role in this context, given its relations with all sides of the conflict, in order to help secure export routes and lift the blockade affecting them.

Responding to a question from Echorouk about the possibility of direct Ukrainian investment in the cultivation of wheat, barley and grains more broadly, particularly in light of the encouraging results achieved so far, Voronin said important discussions were under way between the agriculture ministries of Algeria and Ukraine. “We are on the right track,” he stressed.

On another matter, Echorouk asked the ambassador about the possibility of Algerian-Ukrainian cooperation to decontaminate desert lands from the nuclear radiation left behind by colonial rule following its criminal nuclear tests, particularly in the Reggane desert, which have had harmful consequences for both people and the environment.

The Ukrainian ambassador stressed that his country was ready to move forward with efforts to assist Algeria, pointing to Ukraine’s extensive experience in dealing with the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, following the explosion at the nuclear power plant in 1986.