ISTANBUL (AP) — Military officials from Russia and Ukraine are holding their governments’ first face-to-face talks in months. They are meeting in Istanbul to discuss a United Nations plan to export blocked Ukrainian grain to world markets through the Black Sea. Ukraine is one of the world’s largest exporters of wheat, corn and sunflower oil. Russia’s invasion and war on Ukraine has disrupted production and halted shipments, endangering food supplies in many developing countries and contributing to global higher prices. Turkish military officials and U.N. envoys are participating in Wednesday’s (July 13, 2022) talks on finding a way to get millions of tons of grain sitting in Ukraine silos shipped out. Ukraine’s top diplomat has said grain exports cannot resume without security guarantees.
Kyiv, Ukraine (AP) — The Ukrainian foreign minister says grain exports from his country’s ports won’t resume without security guarantees for ship owners, cargo owners and Ukraine as an independent nation. Military officials from Russia and Ukraine are set to hold their governments’ first face-to-face talks in months Wednesday (July 13, 2022). Speaking to The Associated Press ahead of the meeting in Turkey, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said any agreement needs to ensure Russia “will respect these corridors, they will not sneak into the harbor and attack ports.” Kuleba also told the AP that Ukraine’s military is “planning and preparing for full liberation” of Russian-occupied cities and towns near the country’s Black Sea coast.
Comments