The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February halted grain exports from the Black Sea in Kyiv, threatening a global food crisis.
Russian and Turkish defense ministers have discussed a possible grain export corridor from Ukraine, as well as the situation in northern Syria, Turkey’s defense ministry said as Ankara and Moscow prepared for talks between the two countries. its foreign ministers.
Turkey, a member of NATO, shares a maritime border with Russia and Ukraine in the Black Sea, and has been working to mediate between the two sides in their war. Turkey has backed Kyiv and refused to impose sanctions on Moscow.
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu assessed “all measures that can be taken with regard to the safe shipment of cereals, sunflowers and all other agricultural products.” the Turkish Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.
The announcement comes as the two countries’ foreign ministers meet in Ankara for talks on the United Nations-led efforts to open a safe corridor for grain shipments from Ukraine and Syria.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February halted grain exports from the Black Sea in Kyiv, threatening a global food crisis and raising world food prices to record levels.
The UK is calling for research
Black Sea ports in Ukraine, the world’s fourth-largest grain exporter, have been blocked by Russian naval forces since the invasion, leaving some 20 million tonnes of grain stagnant in the country.
The United Nations is trying to negotiate a deal to allow Ukrainian grain to be shipped from ports such as Odessa. Russia has said it wants Western sanctions lifted as part of a deal to end the port blockade.
Ukraine and the West have accused Moscow of arming the world’s food supply. Russia blames the situation on what it says are Ukrainian anti-bomb mines in Black Sea waters and international sanctions against Moscow.
On Tuesday, the UK Minister for Agriculture called for an immediate investigation into allegations that Russia had been stealing grain from occupied areas in Ukraine.
Victoria Prentis told a conference of the International Grains Council (IGC) in London that she had heard first-hand allegations of grain theft by Russia from sources in the Kherson region of southern Ukraine. he described as very serious.
Russia has previously denied allegations that it stole Ukrainian grain. Ukraine also alleged last week that Russia was sending stolen grain to Turkey from Crimea, which was annexed in 2014. It also accused Russia of sending 100,000 tons of stolen Ukrainian wheat to Syria.
Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine Taras Kachka told the IGC conference that the reputation of Russian companies would be damaged for years by what they said were their attempts to trade in stolen grain.