U.N., Turkey, Ukraine press ahead with Black Sea grain deal despite Russian pullout
KYIV/NEW YORK听–听The United Nations,听罢耻谤办别测听and听鲍办谤补颈苍别听pressed听补丑别补诲听to implement a听叠濒补肠办听厂别补听驳谤补颈苍听诲别补濒听and agreed on a transit plan for Monday for 16 vessels to move forward,听诲别蝉辫颈迟别听Russia’s withdrawal from the pact that has allowed the export of Ukrainian agricultural products to world markets.
Russia, which invaded听鲍办谤补颈苍别听on. Feb 24, on Saturday halted its role in the听叠濒补肠办听厂别补听诲别补濒听for an “indefinite term”, cutting shipments from one of the world’s top聽驳谤补颈苍听exporters, because it said it could not “guarantee safety of civilian ships” travelling under the pact after an attack on its听叠濒补肠办听厂别补听fleet.
The move has sparked an outcry from听鲍办谤补颈苍别, NATO, the European Union and the United States, while the United Nations and听罢耻谤办别测, two main brokers of the July听诲别补濒, scrambled on Sunday to save it.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was deeply concerned about Russia’s move and delayed a foreign trip to try and revive the agreement that was intended to ease a global food crisis, his spokesperson said.
Following Russia’s move, Chicago wheat futures jumped more than 5 percent on Monday as both Russia and听鲍办谤补颈苍别听are among the world’s largest wheat exporters, analysts said.
More than 9.5 million tons of corn, wheat, sunflower products, barley, rapeseed and soy have been exported since July. Under the听诲别补濒, a Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) – made up of UN, Turkish,听搁耻蝉蝉颈补苍听and Ukrainian officials – agrees on the movement of ships and inspects the vessels.
No ships moved through the established maritime humanitarian corridor on Sunday. But the United Nations said in a statement that it had agreed with听鲍办谤补颈苍别听and听罢耻谤办别测听on a movement plan for 16 vessels on Monday – 12 outbound and 4 inbound.
It said the听搁耻蝉蝉颈补苍听officials at the JCC had been told about the plan, along with the intention to inspect 40 outbound vessels on Monday, and noted that “all participants coordinate with their respective military and other relevant authorities to ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels” under the听诲别补濒.
During Sunday’s session among the聽驳谤补颈苍听诲别补濒听delegations,听搁耻蝉蝉颈补苍听officials said Moscow will continue the dialogue with the United Nations and the Turkish delegation on听辫谤别蝉蝉ing issues, the UN said in its statement.
But there was no听搁耻蝉蝉颈补苍听reaction in response to Monday’s transit plan.
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar was in contact with his听搁耻蝉蝉颈补苍听and Ukrainian聽 to try and salvage the agreement and had asked the parties to avoid any provocation, the Turkish defense ministry said.
NATO and the European Union have urged Russia to reconsider its decision. US President Joe Biden on Saturday called Russia’s move “purely outrageous” and said it would increase starvation. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused Moscow of .
On Sunday, Russia’s ambassador to Washington,聽, saying the US response was “outrageous” and made false assertions about Moscow’s move.
FALSE PRETEXT’
The听搁耻蝉蝉颈补苍听defense ministry said听鲍办谤补颈苍别听attacked the听叠濒补肠办听厂别补听Fleet near Sevastopol with聽听补苍诲 that British navy “specialists” had helped coordinate what it called a terrorist attack. Britain denied the claim. Russia said it repelled the attack but that the ships targeted were involved in ensuring the聽驳谤补颈苍听corridor out of听鲍办谤补颈苍别‘s听叠濒补肠办听厂别补听ports.
鲍办谤补颈苍别听has neither confirmed nor denied it was behind the attack. The Ukrainian military suggested that听搁耻蝉蝉颈补苍s themselves may have been responsible for the explosions.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Moscow used the explosions 220 km (137 miles) away from the聽驳谤补颈苍听corridor as a “false pretext” for a long-intended move.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s chief of staff accused Russia on Saturday of聽聽on its own facilities.
鲍办谤补颈苍别听often accuses Russia of using the听叠濒补肠办听厂别补听Fleet to fire cruise missiles at Ukrainian civilian targets, a charge supported by some military analysts who say that makes the fleet a legitimate military target.
Russia’s invasion has recently been dominated by a Ukrainian聽听补苍诲听搁耻蝉蝉颈补苍听听补苍诲 missile attacks that have destroyed more than 30% of听鲍办谤补颈苍别‘s generating capacity and hit populated areas. Each side has accused the other of being prepared to detonate聽.
Russia asked the UN Security Council to meet on Monday to discuss the Sevastopol attack, Deputy UN Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy wrote on Twitter.
SHIPS BLOCKED
The聽驳谤补颈苍听诲别补濒听had restarted shipments from听鲍办谤补颈苍别, allowing sales on world markets, targeting the pre-war level of 5 million metric tons exported from听鲍办谤补颈苍别听each month.
But听补丑别补诲听of its Nov. 19 expiry, Russia had said that there were serious problems with it and听鲍办谤补颈苍别听complained that Moscow had blocked almost 200 ships from picking up聽驳谤补颈苍听cargoes.
The聽诲别补濒听ensured safe passage in and out of Odesa and two other Ukrainian ports.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused Russia of wanting to escalate the crisis, saying 218 ships were blocked and waiting to either carry food or enter Ukrainian ports.
A vessel carrying 30,000 tons of wheat chartered by the听鲍.狈.听Food Program and intended for emergency response in the Horn of Africa was among those near the three Ukrainian ports, according to the UN
“We are ready to release this ship into the听蝉别补,” he said, but like other ships with agricultural products, it was being forced to wait, “because Russia is听产濒补肠办mailing the world with hunger,” he said. – Reuters
