Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, has informed Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, that Moscow would consider restarting a pact permitting grain exports from Ukrainian seaports but only after obtaining “serious guarantees” from Kiev.
The two presidents spoke on the phone on Tuesday after Russia withdrew from the agreement as a result of what it claimed was a drone attack on Moscow’s fleet in Crimea, which it attributed to Ukraine.
Russia promises to resume the grain transaction and tries to investigate drone attacks
In addition to denying exploiting the secure shipping route for military purposes, Kiev has not claimed responsibility.
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According to a Kremlin statement, Putin informed Erdogan that Russia wanted “concrete guarantees from Kyiv about the rigorous adherence of the Istanbul deal, in particular about not exploiting the humanitarian corridor for military reasons.”
In order to alleviate a global food crisis brought in in part by Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, a major producer of grains, and an earlier blockade of its ports, a grain export agreement between Russia and Ukraine was mediated by Turkey and the United Nations in July. It will run out on November 19.
The Kremlin stated that a restart might only be taken into consideration if the purported drone strikes on the Crimean naval port of Sevastopol have been thoroughly investigated.
In addition to receiving genuine guarantees from Kiev over the strict adherence to the Istanbul agreements, particularly with regard to the non-use of the humanitarian corridor for military purposes, Russia demands “a full inquiry into the circumstances of this occurrence.”
The Kremlin statement referred to both the probe and the guarantees it is seeking and stated that “only after that will it be feasible to examine the topic of restarting work” inside the pact.
Putin had also brought up Erdogan’s failure to “fulfil the second part of the package agreements” — namely, to open the export of Russian agricultural goods and fertilisers to international markets — according to the report.
The Baltic Sea ports that Russian producers had previously used for export as well as a pipeline carrying ammonia to the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Pivdennyi, also known as Yuzhny in Russian, have been closed to them. Despite the fact that these products are not subject to the Western sanctions imposed in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Erdogan told Putin on Tuesday that he was “confident a solution-oriented partnership will be developed on this subject,” according to the Turkish presidency’s readout of the conversation.
According to the Russian defence ministry, the agreement was addressed on Tuesday between Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar and Russian Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu.
According to Ukraine, Russia’s assertion was used as a “false excuse” to renege on the agreement.
Despite Russia’s warning that it was “more unsafe, perilous” to continue the exports without Russia’s cooperation the day before, more cargo ships left Ukrainian ports on Tuesday.
There are no plans, however, for grain-laden vessels to move in the Black Sea on Wednesday, according to the Joint Coordination Centre, the organisation in charge of managing a contract to export Ukrainian goods.
The Ukrainian, Turkish, and United Nations delegations agreed not to organise any vessel movements in the Black Sea Grain Initiative for November 2nd, the UN Secretariat at the Joint Coordination Centre reported on Tuesday.
With the full and active participation of all four delegations, the JCC can effectively carry out its mandate, according to a statement from the centre.
It stated that Turkish authorities were coordinating closely with UN Coordinator for the Deal, Amir Abdulla, “to restart full involvement” at the centre.
