Along the same lines, the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrovsaid that Moscow will guarantee the safety of ships departing from Ukrainian ports “in cooperation with our Turkish colleagues”, at a press conference in Ankara with his local counterpart Mevlut Cavusogluwhose country offered its cooperation to address the creation of maritime corridors.
The statements come at a time when the price of cereals skyrocketed due to the blockade to which the world’s fifth-largest grain exporter is subjected: Ukraine, responsible for 9% of world shipments.
At the request of the UN, Turkey offered its help to escort the ships that can move these grains.
Cavusoglu stated that “the UN plan is reasonable and feasible.” “Ukraine and Russia should accept it,” the AFP news agency reported.
At the same time, the German chancellor, Olaf Scholzand the Ukrainian leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyspoke by phone today and agreed on the need to do everything possible to ensure the export of grain from Ukraine, especially by sea, the German government press service reported.
According to Ukraine, more than 25 million tons of cereals are stranded in its territory and waiting for a solution negotiated by the two opposing countries.
The Scholz-Zelensky talks addressed the alternative of reopening the Ukrainian port of Odessa (controlled by kyiv), but Ukraine hesitates and asks that they be given weapons to defend the Black Sea coast in case of Russian attack and naval patrols from third countries.
If Ukraine demines the country’s main port, Russia “will want to attack, dreams of sending paratroopers,” regional administration spokesman Sergei Brachuk said in a video posted on Telegram.
“The Russian Black Sea fleet will feign a retreat to annexed Crimea. But as soon as we clear access to the port of Odessa, they will appear there,” he said.
Despite the differences, Turkish National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said there is “certain progress” and noted that Turkey is trying to “achieve a result as soon as possible”, for which it is necessary to address “technical details that are still being discussed”.
In particular, the minister explained, the way in which the corridor will work is being negotiated, who will be in charge of demining the ports, which ships will escort the freighters.
Italy announced today that it will strive to help Ukraine export its grains, Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio assured at the opening of the ministerial meeting of Mediterranean countries dedicated to food security.
Ukraine and Western powers accuse Russia of blocking food supplies from Ukrainian ports with its naval forces.
Moscow rejects this accusation, saying that maritime food exports from Ukraine are paralyzed because local forces mined the country’s ports and that sanctions imposed on Russia caused cuts in supply chains and international financial flows.
At the same time, the United States and its allies claim that exports of agricultural products and fertilizers are not subject to the sanctions that Western countries imposed on Russia for the military invasion of Ukrainian territory.
Source: Ambito
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