US buying large shipment of Ukrainian grain for food aid

Villagers gather during a visit by World Food Programme chief David Beasley in the village of Wagalla, northern Kenya (Brian Inganga/AP)

The United States is to buy about 150,000 metric tons of grain from Ukraine in the next few weeks for an upcoming shipment of food aid from ports no longer blockaded by war.

The final destinations for the grain are not confirmed and discussions continue, World Food Programme (WFP) chief David Beasley said.