Ukraine and Russia will sign an agreement Friday to restart grain exports that had been blocked in the Black Sea, according to a Turkish government official.
The Ukrainian and Russian delegations will sign the deal in Istanbul while Turkish President Recept Tayyip Erdogan and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will be in attendance, according to a statement from Erdogan’s spokesman.
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Russia’s war in Ukraine has stalled Kyiv’s exports, with Ukraine being the world’s largest exporter of sunflower oil, the fourth-largest of corn, and the fifth-largest of wheat.
The details of the agreement were not known, though diplomats said before last week’s talks that it would include Ukrainian vessels guiding grain ships through mined port waters, Russia agreeing to a truce while the shipments are in transport, and that Turkey, with the U.N.’s backing, would inspect the ships to assuage Russian concerns of weapons shipments, according to Reuters.
A National Security Council spokesperson expressed cautious optimism about the deal but noted that it’s the actions that will determine the importance of the deal.
“We are hopeful, though realistic, about the prospects for reopening Ukraine’s agricultural exports given how Russia has been blocking exports throughout the war, exacerbating global food insecurity,” the spokesperson said. “Success in ending Russia’s blockade will, of course, depend not only on Russia agreeing to a deal, but on Russia actually implementing it.”
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“The bottom line is that getting this food to the global markets should be an urgent priority for all countries, especially as many of the world’s most vulnerable people slide deeper into food insecurity and malnutrition,” the spokesperson added. “Russia bears unique responsibility as its invasion of Ukraine has caused massive disruption to global agricultural markets.”
