Russia and Turkey have agreed to continue negotiating a safe place on the Black Sea to send grain to Ukraine after talks in Moscow, Russia’s defense ministry and a Turkish broadcaster said on Wednesday. Ukraine is one of the world’s leading wheat suppliers, but its exports have been halted by the Russian invasion on February 24, causing global food shortages. The United Nations has appealed to both sides, as well as Turkey’s neighbors to agree to the passage. NATO member Turkey has held direct talks with Russia and the U.N.
To comply with the UN-led plan, Moscow calls for Western sanctions to be lifted to help export grain and fertilizer, while Kyiv seeks security guarantees for its ports. Ankara, who has good relations with the two, said the demands were reasonable. On Tuesday, sources in the Turkish presidency said a meeting between Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the U.N. will be in Istanbul in the coming weeks.
Turkey’s TRT Haber broadcaster said talks between Turkish and Russian military officials on Tuesday were long and “positive and constructive.” A Turkish cargo ship stranded in the Ukrainian port of Mariupol – under Russian rule – has emerged safely from the port as a result, he said.
The Azov Concord ship left the port of Mariupol hours after the end of the meeting, TRT reported. Negotiations were led by generals tasked with using the “hotline” between Ankara, Moscow and Kyiv to find a solution to the problem, he added. Ukraine and the United Nations to resolve the issue “Ankara said it was ready to take on the” task “to be built in Istanbul to monitor the implementation of the sea corridor program.
