Russia and Ukraine will sign a deal on Friday to reopen Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, Turkey said, a potential breakthrough that could ease the threat of hunger facing millions around the world as a consequence of Russia’s invasion.
Ukraine and Russia are both among the world’s biggest exporters of food, and Ukraine’s ports, including the major hub of Odesa, have been blockaded by Russia’s Black Sea fleet.
A truck is seen at a grain terminal during barley harvesting in Odesa region, as Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues, Ukraine, on 23rd June. PICTURE: Reuters/Igor Tkachenko/File photo.
The blockade by Russia’s Black Sea fleet has reduced supplies to markets around the world and sent grain prices soaring since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into neighbouring Ukraine on 24th February.
Full details of the agreement were not immediately released. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was going to Turkey, a UN spokesman said. The agreement was due to be signed on Friday at 1330 GMT, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s office said.
Turkish defence minister Hulusi Akar said last week that the deal includes joint controls for checking shipments in harbours. Turkey would also set up a coordination centre with Ukraine, Russia and the United Nations for grain exports.
Zelenskiy, whose address mainly focused on Ukrainian forces’ potential to make gains on the battlefield, said: “And tomorrow we also expect news for our state from Turkey – regarding the unblocking of our ports.”
Earlier the Ukrainian foreign ministry said that another UN-led round of talks to unblock grain exports would take place in Turkey on Friday.
“In summary, a document may be signed which will bind the sides to [ensure] safe functioning of export routes in the Black Sea,” foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko said.
Cargo ships are docked in the Black sea port of Odessa, Ukraine, on 4th November, 2016. PICTURE: Reuters/Valentyn Ogirenko
Sanctions
Moscow has denied responsibility for worsening the food crisis, blaming instead a chilling effect from Western sanctions for slowing its own food and fertilizer exports and Ukraine for mining its Black Sea ports.
US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Washington would focus on holding Moscow accountable for carrying out the agreement. The United Nations and Turkey have been working for two months to broker what Guterres called a “package” deal – to resume Ukraine’s Black Sea grain exports and facilitate Russian grain and fertiliser shipments.
Russia on Thursday said the latest round of European Union sanctions would have “devastating consequences” for security and parts of the global economy.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement that the 27-nation bloc proposed to ease some earlier sanctions in a bid to safeguard global food security and Moscow hoped this would create conditions for the unhindered export of grain and fertilisers.
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Battlefield
Zelenskiy met senior commanders on Thursday to discuss weapons supplies and intensifying attacks on Russians.
“[We] agreed that our forces have the strong potential to advance on the battlefield and inflict significant new losses on the occupiers,” Zelenskiy said in his video address.
Ukraine has accused Russia of stepping up missile strikes on cities in recent weeks to terrorise its population. Moscow denies deliberately attacking civilians and says all its targets are military.
Kyiv hopes that Western weapons, especially longer-range missiles such as US High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) will allow it to counterattack and recapture territory lost in the invasion.
A rescuer stands in a front of a school building destroyed by a Russian missile strike, as Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues, in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, on 21st July. PICTURE: Reuters/Alina Yarysh
The main frontlines have been largely frozen since Russian forces seized the last two Ukrainian-held cities in eastern Luhansk province in battles in late June and early July. Russian forces are also focused on neighbouring Donetsk province.
Russia aims to fully capture all of Donetsk and Luhansk on behalf of its separatist proxies.
Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February, calling it a “special military operation” to rid Ukraine of fascists, an assertion the Ukrainian government and its Western allies said was a baseless pretext for an unprovoked war.
– With reporting by Reuters bureaux
