- More talks are needed on the grain corridor, Cavusoglu says
- Lavrov says Ukraine has a responsibility to clear its ports
- World food crisis threatened by the halt of grain exports to Ukraine
ANKARA, June 8 (Reuters) – Turkey’s foreign minister said on Wednesday that a UN plan to alleviate a global food crisis by restarting Ukraine’s grain exports along a maritime corridor was ” reasonable “and required further talks with Moscow and Kyiv to ensure that ships are safe.
Speaking to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Turkish President Mevlut Cavusoglu said his meeting in Ankara was fruitful, adding that Turkey’s latest contacts and recent statements by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskii were show that there could be a basis for returning to conversations.
But Ukraine’s ambassador to Turkey accused Russia of making unrealistic proposals, such as checking ships. Read more
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Lavrov said it was Ukraine’s responsibility to resolve the issue of grain shipments by clearing mines of its Black Sea ports and that Russia should not take any action because it had already made the necessary commitments. Read more
“We affirm on a daily basis that we are prepared to ensure the safety of ships leaving Ukrainian ports and heading for (Turkish waters), we are prepared to do so in cooperation with our Turkish colleagues,” he said after conversations with Cavusoglu.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry, however, has rejected as “empty words” Lavrov’s assurances that Moscow will not take advantage of the situation to its advantage if Kyiv allows grain shipments to leave the Black Sea safely.
Ukraine has said it needs “effective security guarantees” before it can begin shipments, expressing concern that Moscow could use the potential corridor to move to its southern port of Odessa.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24 halted grain exports from the Black Sea in Kyiv, threatening a global food crisis. The United Nations has called on both sides, as well as its maritime neighbor and NATO member Turkey, to agree on a corridor.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu attend a press conference while meeting in Ankara, Turkey, on June 8, 2022. REUTERS / Umit Bektas
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Moscow denies responsibility for the international food crisis, blaming Western sanctions.
Any deal could involve a Turkish naval escort for tankers leaving Odessa and other Ukrainian ports – which are currently blocked by the Russian navy – and into the straits of Turkey and global markets. Read more
Cavusoglu said he believed the world should work together to open a safe passage for Ukraine’s agricultural exports and that Turkey considered “very legitimate” Russia’s demands to lift restrictions on its agricultural exports.
“Various ideas have been put forward for the export of large Ukrainians to the market and, more recently, the UN plan (including) a mechanism that can be created between the UN, Ukraine, Russia and Turkey,” he said. said Cavusoglu.
“We see it as reasonable,” he added. “Of course, both Ukraine and Russia must accept it.”
Lavrov said the main problem was that Ukraine had “categorically refused” to solve the problem of mined ports.
Turkey, which has good relations with both Kyiv and Moscow, has previously said it is willing to play a role in an Istanbul-based “observation mechanism” if an agreement is reached.
Turkey has NATO’s second-largest army and a major navy, but the head of Ukraine’s grain traders’ union said on Wednesday that Ankara was not powerful enough to act as guarantor. Read more
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Additional report by Ezgi Erkoyun, Natalia Zinets and Pavel Polityuk Written by Jonathan Spicer and Daren Butler Edited by Tomasz Janowski and Mark Potter
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