Russia stymies grain deal

Hopes of a deal to resume grain exports from Ukraine were dealt a blow yesterday as talks with Russian military officials ended without a breakthrough, heightening fears of a global food crisis.

The talks, the first for months between delegations from the warring countries, focused on a United Nations-backed proposal for Ukrainian vessels to escort grain ships through mined waters around Odesa.

Under the plan, Moscow would agree to a ceasefire during the shipments and Turkey, with the support of the UN, would inspect ships to ease Russian fears of arms smuggling.

Russia’s blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports has left more than 20 million tonnes of grain stuck in silos. Ukraine, one of the largest exporters of wheat, corn and sunflower oil, has accused Russian troops of setting fire to fields. Ukrainian ports are heavily mined and Kyiv is concerned that Russia will step up attacks on its southern coast if it clears its defences.

Turkey’s defence ministry said yesterday that the talks had concluded but gave no further details.

Dmytro Kuleba, the Ukrainian foreign minister, said as the talks began that he needed assurances Russian forces would not ‘‘sneak in’’ to attack ports or fire missiles at them. He told El Pais, the Spanish newspaper, that Russia opposed resuming exports because proceeds from the sales would ‘‘make us stronger’’.

The disruption to shipments has caused a rise in global prices and stoked fears of famine in Africa. Wheat prices have risen 45 per cent in the first three months of this year compared with last year, the United Nations said.

Antony Blinken, the United States secretary of state, has accused Russia of holding the world to ransom. ‘‘President [Vladimir] Putin is stopping food from being shipped,’’ he said. ‘‘He hopes it’ll get the world to give in to him and end the sanctions. In other words, simply put, it’s blackmail.’’

Russia has blamed Ukraine for the disruption. Pyotr Ilyichev, a Russian foreign ministry official, said the Ukrainians were ‘‘blocking the exit from their waters’’. Before the talks he said Moscow was willing to ensure safe navigation for ships to carry grain from Ukraine but would press for its right to check the vessels for weapons. Ilyichev said Russia’s military had repeatedly declared its willingness to allow safe shipping corridors in the Black Sea.

He said that 70 ships from 16 countries had been stuck in Ukrainian ports, alleging that officials had refused to let them set sail.

‘‘Our conditions are clear,’’ Ilyichev said in a report by Russia’s Interfax news agency. ‘‘We need to have a possibility to control and check the ships to prevent any attempts to smuggle weapons in and Kyiv must refrain from any provocations.’’

Ukraine has exported some grain but its monthly shipments are about a third of normal levels.

Before the talks, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey discussed the UN proposal with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Turkish officials said that under the plan the UN would control the grain shipments from Istanbul.

Some officials in Russian ‘‘liberated’’ areas of Ukraine say they have carried out their own shipments of grain. Satellite images in May showed Russianflagged ships being loaded at a port in Crimea. Days later they were observed in Syria with their hatches open.

The negotiations came as the number of deaths from a Russian missile strike on an apartment block in Chasiv Yar, in the Donetsk region, rose to 47.

– The Times