ANKARA / UNITED NATIONS, June 15 (Reuters) – Russia said on Wednesday it had proposed a “safe passage” for grain shipments to Ukraine from Black Sea ports, but was not responsible for establishing corridors, and Turkey suggested ships could be targeted around sea mines.
Grain supplies to Ukraine have stalled following Russia’s invasion and port blockade, which has raised world prices for cereals, oil, fuel and fertilizers. The United Nations is trying to reach a deal to resume exports from Ukraine and Russian exports of food and fertilizers, which Moscow says are affected by the sanctions.
“We are not responsible for creating safe corridors. We said we can ensure safe passage if these corridors are created,” said Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya.
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“It is obvious either to demine the territory that has been mined by the Ukrainians, or to ensure that the passage will go around these mines,” he told reporters.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said earlier Wednesday that it would “take some time” to clear Ukrainian ports, but a safe maritime corridor could be set up in mine-free areas at a UN proposal. Ankara is still waiting for Moscow’s reaction to the plan, he said.
“As the location of the mines is known, certain safe lines will be established in three ports,” Cavusoglu said. He said that merchant ships using the guidance of Ukrainian ships, as detailed in the plan, “could come and go safely to ports without having to clear mines.”
The UN is “working closely with Turkish authorities on the issue,” said UN spokesman Stefan Dujarric. “To continue this, an agreement will be needed from the Ukrainian side, from the Russian side,” Dujarric added.
“LIMITED OPTIMISM”
Ukraine fears the demining of its ports will make it much more vulnerable to a Russian attack from the Black Sea.
“Our military is against this, so we have very, very limited optimism about this model,” said David Arahamia, an MP and member of Ukraine’s negotiating team with Russia, at an event in Washington on Wednesday.
John Kirby, a White House spokesman for national security, said exporting grain from Ukraine was a “complicated matter”, but President Joe Biden “kept an open mind.”
“He’s doing everything he can to put this grain on the market,” Kirby told reporters. “We all have in mind the sense of urgency here. We work very, very hard. “
Biden said on Tuesday that temporary silos would be set up along the border with Ukraine in a bid to help export more grain and tackle the growing global food crisis. Read more
Cavusoglu discussed the UN plan with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Ankara last week, but said further discussions are needed with Moscow and Kyiv. Lavrov then said Ukraine’s responsibility was to clear mines around its ports to bring merchant ships closer. Read more
Moscow denies responsibility for the food crisis, blaming Western sanctions. Read more
Turkey, which has NATO’s second-largest army and largest navy, has good relations with both Kyiv and Moscow, and said it is ready to take on a role in the Istanbul-based “monitoring mechanism” if a deal is reached. .
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Report by Tuvan Gumrukju and Michelle Nichols; Additional reports by Humeirah Cotton and Steve Holland in Washington; Edited by Jonathan Oatis, Mark Porter and Grant McCool
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