"This is an agreement for the world": Grain exports from Ukraine possible again
Created: 07/23/2022, 08:22
By: Christoph Klaucke
Ukraine and Russia agree on grain exports.
© Vadim Savitsky/dpa
Ukraine and Russia reach far-reaching agreement for world markets.
Grain exports should be possible again by ship.
Istanbul/Kyiv – Five months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, there is a major agreement between the warring parties for the first time: Grain exports from Ukraine should be possible again.
The relevant agreements were signed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and representatives of Turkey, Russia and Ukraine on Friday in Istanbul.
Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu traveled from Moscow, Infrastructure Minister Olexander Kubrakov from Kyiv.
In the Ukraine war it was the 149th day of Russian attacks.
Ukraine and Russia agree to ship grain
"This is a deal for the world," Guterres said.
Shipping grain and food stocks to world markets will help "close the global food supply gap" and stabilize global food prices, he said in Istanbul.
The ports of Ukraine, the world's fifth largest grain exporter, have been blocked since the war began.
Kyiv and the West blamed Moscow for the ailing global grain supply.
Russia rejects this.
The Ukraine did not want to mine its ports for fear of Russian attacks from the Black Sea.
Ukraine and Russia agree on grain exports: control center in Istanbul
The agreement on grain exports provides for a joint control center in Istanbul.
It will be headed by the United Nations and will be staffed by representatives from Russia, Ukraine and Turkey.
A safe sea route between Ukraine and the Bosphorus is to be established in the center.
The parties also agreed that ships bound for Ukraine would first be searched in Istanbul.
This is to make sure they don't have guns loaded or anything like that.
There should be another check in Turkey when the ships return from the Black Sea.
Ships in the humanitarian corridor and the ports involved must therefore not be attacked.
The agreement will initially apply for four months.
According to Ukrainian information, it is about three ports near Odessa.
Despite agreement: “Ukraine does not sign any documents with Russia”
However, Ukraine only wanted to sign the documents with Turkey and the UN.
Conversely, Turkey and the United Nations should then sign a treaty with Russia.
"Ukraine is not signing any documents with Russia," said Mykhailo Podoliak, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Since the start of the war on February 24, both sides have only agreed to exchange a few soldiers and prisoners killed.
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On Friday, the Ukrainian authorities recorded fire from Russian troops on all sectors of the front.
Western military experts, however, said the attackers were making slow progress.
"The Russian forces will hardly gain ground in the coming weeks," according to the US Institute for War Studies.MIRJAM SCHMITT