Russia, Turkey in accord on Ukraine ship corridor
Grain export terms would see seaports demined, sanctions on Moscow eased
ANKARA, Turkey — Russia and Turkey voiced support 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 Sergey Lavrov in Ankara for discussions focused on a U.N. 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 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.
Russia has urged Ukraine to remove mines near the Black Sea port of Odesa to allow safe grain exports. Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed that Russia will not use the demined corridors to launch an attack on the key Ukrainian port of Odesa — but Putin also insisted earlier this year that he had no plans to invade Ukraine. Lavrov said Wednesday that Russia is ready to formalize that guarantee for Odesa.
Moscow also insisted on its right to check incoming vessels 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, 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 Wednesday.
He said it would take three to four months to remove sea mines, and said it was the Russians who have mined the area.
Both Russia and Turkey would benefit from the export plan. The corridor would also allow Russia to safely export its food and fertilizer. Turkey says it would facilitate and protect the transport of grain in the Black Sea — a move cutting out other possible shippers.
The Turkish minister also backed easing Western sanctions against Russia if it participates in the plan, saying that seemed “quite legitimate.”
While grain exports are exempt from Western sanctions, Russia claims that sanctions on its shipping make it impossible to ship its grain to global markets. European Union officials emphasized again that the bloc did not impose sanctions on food.