Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that he will talk with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, about an extension of the agreement to release Ukrainian grains from the Black Sea beyond July 17. At a press conference in Istanbul, Erdogan said that he has “discussed” this matter with Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky, and that he will discuss it with Putin “by phone or next month, when he comes (to Turkey).”
The Turkish president did not specify the date of that visit, which would be the first made by the head of the Kremlin since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The so-called “cereal corridor”, a pact closed a year ago between Kiev and Moscow with the mediation of Ankara and the UN so that ships loaded with grain can leave the Black Sea ports for the international market, expires on July 17.
“We are working to prolong the agreement on grains. We want the extension of the agreement that will end on July 17. I believe that the parties (Moscow and Kiev) will act responsibly,” Erdogan said, saying that currently “there are 12 Turkish ships held in Ukrainian ports”.
Given the forcefulness of Zelenski
For his part, Zelensky said “everyone wants the next one” of the grain deal, and accused Moscow of blocking it. “Russia behaves as if the Black Sea belongs to it and prevents the movement of ships. We have to help the world overcome hunger and social chaos,” he said.
“The continuation of the grain corridor must not be linked to the mood of the Russian president. Russia is blockading the Black Sea. Russia must not shoot at ships,” the Ukrainian president declared.
The UN asks to “prioritize” food security
The UN Secretary General, António Guterres, asked today, in a statement, to “prioritize global food security” given the prospects that they will not be renewed due to Russian opposition. Guterres recalled that the grain agreement has contributed to lower food prices worldwide.
However, Russia has said there are no grounds for prolonging it again, because the Ukrainian grain deal has become a trade pact, not a humanitarian one. In addition, it has denounced that the international sanctions against it prevent the part of the pact that should guarantee its exports of food and fertilizers from being fulfilled.
