UN chief: Crucial step to resolve grain crisis

Created: 07/13/2022, 20:38

Due to the ongoing Russian naval blockade of Ukraine's Black Sea ports, millions of tons of last year's harvest still cannot reach their destination.

© Efrem Lukatsky/AP/dpa

Russia has been blocking Ukrainian grain exports for weeks.

On Wednesday, representatives of both countries as well as the UN and Turkey met in Istanbul.

The UN chief is then confident.

According to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, a first breakthrough has been made in the dispute over grain exports from Ukraine.

At the talks between representatives of the United Nations, Ukraine, Russia and Turkey in Istanbul, a "decisive step" was taken towards a solution, Guterres told reporters in New York on Wednesday.

"Today we finally have a bit of hope." Guterres initially did not share any details.

But he said, "More technical work will be needed for today's progress to materialize."

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense earlier, the delegation from Moscow presented "a package of proposals for the fastest possible practical solution to this issue."

On Wednesday, however, army spokesman Igor Konashenkov left open what this package should look like.

The international community has been demanding that Russia allow the export of Ukrainian grain for weeks.

Ukraine complains that the Russian Navy is blockading its Black Sea ports.

Russia denies blocking wheat exports.

The two countries are among the largest wheat exporters and play an important role in global food security.

The United Nations recently warned of the worst famine in decades.

dpa