A farmer collects wheat near Mykolaiv, on July 21, 2022, amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Bulent Kilic | AFP | beautiful pictures
Russia and Ukraine on Friday signed a UN-backed agreement to resume Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea.
The deal, to be implemented in the next few weeks, was signed in the Turkish city of Istanbul and brokered by the government of Ankara.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu attended with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Russian and Ukrainian officials sat at separate tables to sign documents.
Millions of tons of wheat were trapped in the war-torn country. Grain exporters in Ukrainian port cities such as Odesa have been unable to export their goods due to the conflict, causing a global shortage of goods and driving up food prices.
Ukraine is one of the world’s biggest wheat exporters, and Russian forces have blockaded the Black Sea, where there are grain silos at key Ukrainian ports.
The Bosporus and the Dardanelles are the only waterways in and out of the Black Sea. That gives Turkey influence over how the Russian navy moves.
Bryn Bache | CNBC
The deal is significant for the global food supply, but it is also the first major deal between the two sides since Moscow launched an unprovoked attack on February 24.
‘Light of Hope’
While the details of the deal are currently unknown, it is believed to allow Ukrainian ships to lead ships through the mined waters, with a partial truce in place so that Russia does not attack. . Turkish officials are also expected to inspect the shipments to rule out any arms smuggling.
International prospectors are cautious about the deal, and Russia will be closely watched to ensure it maintains its edge. Moscow, which blames Ukraine for laying the mine, is also expected to restart its grain exports in the Black Sea under the deal.
Erdogan said at the signing ceremony on Friday that the deal would prevent billions of people from facing starvation. He said he hoped that the deal would be a turning point in the war and called on both sides to end the conflict.
“We are proud to be instrumental in an initiative that will play an important role in addressing the global food crisis that has long been on the agenda,” he said, according to a translation. .
Guterres struck an upbeat tone, saying there was now a lighthouse “on the Black Sea.” “A ray of hope [and] possibility … and relief in a world that needs it more than ever. ”
