The United Nations reported “positive” results of the first face-to-face talks in months between Russia and Ukraine on a UN plan to send millions of tons of grain blocked to Ukraine due to the war on world markets and allow Russia also send out grain and manure.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was due to report to reporters on Wednesday afternoon, local time, on the outcome of the grain meeting in Istanbul. His deputy spokesman, Farhan Haq, said: “The important point is that we believe this is a positive thing and will talk to you at length about why.”
The war has caught about 22 million tons of grain in Ukraine, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The UN, Turkey and other officials are fighting for a solution that would empty the silos in time for the next harvest in Ukraine. Part of grain is transported across Europe by rail, road and river, but the amount is small compared to Black Sea routes.
Russian, Ukrainian, UN and Turkish delegates meet in Istanbul. (AP)
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations says the war in Ukraine is endangering food supplies for many developing countries, raising food prices around the world and could make it worse the hunger of up to 181 million people.
Meanwhile, Russia said it had submitted a package of proposals for a “practical and quick solution” to unblock Ukrainian grain exports, but gave no further details.
Russian and Ukrainian officers, dressed in civilian clothes, clashed around a large square table, along with Turkish military officials and UN envoys. Turkey’s Defense Ministry announced that talks had ended about 90 minutes after it confirmed they had begun.
Ukraine is one of the world’s largest exporters of wheat, corn and sunflower oil, but the invasion and war of Russia have disrupted production and stopped shipments across the Black Sea to the Mediterranean.
The UN says positive steps have been taken to resume Ukrainian wheat exports across the Black Sea. (AP)
Turkey has offered to provide safe corridors for the Black Sea and has worked with the UN, Russia and Ukraine to reach an agreement. The UN would set up a center in Istanbul to control shipments, Turkish officials said.
Speaking before the talks, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told The Associated Press that grain exports from his country’s ports will not resume without security guarantees for shipowners, owners of the burden and to keep Ukraine as an independent nation.
Any agreement must ensure that Russia “will respect these corridors, will not enter the port and attack the ports or will not attack the ports from the air with its missiles,” he said.
Russian and Ukrainian officials have negotiated allegations about shipments of stranded grain.
Moscow claims that Ukraine’s heavily mined ports are causing the delay. Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised that Moscow would not use the corridors to launch an attack if the sea mines were removed.
Ukraine is one of the largest exporters of wheat in the world. (AP)
But Ukrainian officials have blamed a Russian naval blockade for stopping exports and provoking the global food crisis. They are skeptical of Putin’s promise not to take advantage of the cleaned corridors of the Black Sea to attack Ukrainian ports, noting that this year he repeatedly insisted he had no plans to invade Ukraine.
Prior to the talks, a senior Russian diplomat said Moscow was willing to ensure safe navigation for ships to transport grain from Ukrainian ports, but would press for its right to check for weapons on ships.
Pyotr Ilyichev, head of Russia’s Foreign Ministry for relations with international organizations, said the Russian army has repeatedly stated its willingness to allow safe navigation corridors in the Black Sea.
Seventy ships from 16 countries have been stranded in Ukrainian ports, Ilishev said, alleging that Ukrainian authorities had banned them from leaving.
“Our conditions are clear: we must have a way to control and check ships to prevent any attempt to smuggle weapons, and Kyiv must refrain from any provocation,” Interfax news agency said. Russia, quoting Ilychev.
Guterres has worked for months to reach an agreement that would allow Ukraine to export wheat and other commodities from Odessa, the country’s largest port, and would also allow Russia to export its grain and fertilizers to world markets.
Western sanctions on Russia do not prohibit exports of food or fertilizers. But Moscow argues that Western sanctions on its banking and shipping industries make it impossible for Russia to export those goods and frighten foreign shipping companies.
Volodymyr Fesenko, head of the Kyiv-based think tank Penta Center, said a key issue in the talks was which country would offer security guarantees and send warships to escort grain-carrying ships.
Ukraine also wants to establish a control mechanism to ensure that Russia does not send grain from the territories that seize Ukraine to global markets, he said.
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“Ukraine calls for a transparent and clear mechanism of international control,” he said.
“Ukrainian authorities are using talks in Turkey to urge international partners not to buy the stolen or pay Kyiv for it.”
Ukraine’s foreign ministry summoned the Turkish ambassador last week after Turkish authorities briefly detained a Russian ship suspected of carrying stolen grain, but allowed him to leave and return to a Russian port. A Turkish official said authorities could not determine that the ship was carrying stolen grain.
Turkey, a member of NATO, has maintained close ties with both Moscow and Ukraine.