Russia suspended the grain deal on Saturday. Since then, the UN and Turkey have been trying to find a solution. On Wednesday, ship transits in the Black Sea are to be stopped for the time being.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed “confidence” about a full resumption of the grain deal.
A “solution-oriented cooperation” could be established, according to a statement by the Turkish Communications Ministry after Erdogan had called Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday. A solution to the “grain crisis” could also stimulate a return to negotiations, Erdogan was quoted as saying.
UN: No shipping passages in the Black Sea on Wednesday
After the agreement was suspended, the United Nations announced that shipping traffic in the Black Sea would be suspended on Wednesday. “The UN Secretariat and the Joint Coordination Center report that the delegations of Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations have agreed not to plan any movement of ships under the Black Sea Grains Initiative for tomorrow, November 2,” said Sprecher Farhan Haq in New York on Tuesday.
He emphasized that the suspension of the Moscow agreement was a “temporary and exceptional measure”. The break in shipping traffic is also a “temporary measure” – until further notice it is only about Wednesday.
Freighters left Ukrainian ports on Tuesday
On Tuesday, the export of Ukrainian grain under the initiative continued. The control center set up under the agreement in Istanbul announced that three freighters had left Ukrainian ports on Tuesday. The inspection of ships around Istanbul is currently carried out without inspectors from Ukraine and Russia and only by representatives of the UN and Turkey.
The grain agreement actually provides for controls with representatives of all four delegations. According to UN data, among the ships is the “SSI Challenger” loaded with corn and bound for Germany. 46 investigations were completed on Monday. The ships are inspected to make sure they don’t have any weapons loaded or anything like that.
Russia suspends deal after drone strikes
Russia suspended the agreement mediated by Turkey and the UN on Saturday. Moscow cited drone attacks by Kiev on its Black Sea fleet as justification. Ukraine must clearly undertake not to use the sea corridor of grain ships for military purposes, Putin demanded. Only then can one talk about a return of Russia to the agreement. According to the UN, the sea area is only protected during grain transport, but not at night.
According to the Kremlin, Putin complained that the second part of the agreement was not being implemented, namely an increase in Russian grain and fertilizer exports. These exports are not subject to sanctions. But overall western punitive measures make the business difficult for companies looking to ship and buy Russian grain.
The wheat trade in the other direction
Meanwhile, Pakistan has struck a new deal with Russia for the supply of more than 300,000 tons of wheat. According to its own statements on Tuesday, the government in Islamabad hopes to counteract an impending hunger crisis. Grain yields in the South Asian country of more than 225 million people have fallen significantly this year. The reasons were a heat wave and then record floods that destroyed large areas of grain fields.
Source: Stern
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