Moscow, Kyiv clash on grain exports
Russia’s invasion has devastated crops and farming, and affected crucial exports from one of the world’s main grain producers
Agencies
ANKARA: Russia and Turkey voiced support on Wednesday for the creation of a safe maritime corridor in the Black Sea so Ukraine can export grain to global markets amid an escalating world food crisis. But Russia demanded that the Black Sea be demined and Turkey said allowing the Ukraine exports should be accompanied by easing Western sanctions against Russia.
Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu hosted his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Ankara for discussions focused on a UN proposal to free Ukraine’s Black Sea ports and allow 22 million tons of grain sitting in silos to be shipped out.
The two allies appeared eager to dictate the terms of Ukraine’s exports — which have been strongly affected by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — and cement further control over the Black Sea. Ukraine was not invited to the talks.
Ukraine is one of the world’s largest exporters of wheat, corn and sunflower oil, but the war and a Russian blockade of its ports have halted much of that flow, endangering food supplies to many developing countries. Many of those ports are now also heavily mined.
It exported up to 6 million tonnes of grain a month before Russia launched its invasion on February 24. Volumes have since fallen to about 1 million tonnes as Ukraine, which used to export most of its goods through seaports, has been forced to transport grain by train via its western border or via its small Danube river ports.
Russia has urged Ukraine to remove mines from the area near the Black Sea port of Odesa to allow safe grain exports. Lavrov said on Wednesday that Russia is ready to formalise that Russia would not “abuse” its naval advantage if Ukraine’s ports were demined and would “take all necessary steps to ensure that the ships can leave there freely”.
Moscow also insisted on its right to check the incoming vessels to be loaded with grain to make sure they don’t carry weapons into Ukraine.
Ukraine, which was not represented at the Ankara meeting, says the Russian promise not to use safe shipping corridors to attack Odesa is not credible. The head of Ukraine’s grain traders group has also scoffed at Turkey’s effort to negotiate a deal with Russia to allow Ukrainian grain exports to resume, saying that Ankara is not powerful enough to act as a guarantor against Russia.
“Turkey doesn’t have enough power in the Black Sea to guarantee security of cargo and Ukrainian ports,” Ukrainian Grain Union chief Serhiy Ivashchenko said on Wednesday. He said it would take 3 to 4 months to remove sea mines, and said it was the Russians who have mined the area.