Turkey, U.N. Eye Sea Lane for Grain Through Ukraine’s Mines
ANKARA, Turkey—Turkish and United Nations diplomats are discussing a new proposal for extracting grain currently blockaded in Ukrainian ports, by escorting freighters through a safe passage among the defensive mines that protect Black Sea ports amid the war with Russia.
The proposal is the latest effort by Turkey and the U.N. to transport Ukrainian grain out of the country. Russia’s invasion has left about 20 million metric tons of grain stranded in Ukraine, heightening fears of a global food crisis after months in which the war has already driven up the cost of food world-wide.
Earlier negotiations coordinated by the U.N. focused on removing the mines. But that generated opposition from some officials in Kyiv and raised concerns that the demining couldn’t be accomplished in time to ship an avalanche of grain expected to be harvested in coming months.
Ukrainian officials have said in the past that demining Ukraine’s ports would expose the country to further attacks by Russia. U.S. officials also expressed skepticism about previous proposals.
Now Turkish officials, who are working both with Moscow and Kyiv, are eyeing a plan to thread a passage through the mines and escort ships from ports such as Odessa to the safer waters in the Black Sea away from the war zone. Diplomats say the new plan hasn’t been worked out in detail or endorsed by Russia, which previously backed the removal of mines.
A couple on a beach in the Black Sea near the Ukrainian city of Odessa.
Photo:
oleksandr gimanov/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
“Since the locations of the mines are known, safe corridors will be established to the three ports,” said Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, on Wednesday, according to Turkey’s state-run news agency.
Mr. Cavusoglu said that under the new proposal, Ukrainian search-and-rescue ships would guide vessels carrying grain from the ports. He said that Turkey supports the new proposal but is waiting for Russia’s response.
Vasily Nebenzya,
Russia’s ambassador to the U.N., said Moscow is willing to ensure safe passage for ships in the Black Sea if nations agree on the means of getting them out of Ukraine’s ports, either through removing mines or working out a passage through them.
Both Russia and Ukraine would have to approve the plan, since both countries have deployed mines in the Black Sea near Ukraine during the war.
The Turkish foreign minister also reiterated an offer to host talks in Istanbul among the various parties involved in negotiations over Ukraine’s grain supplies.
The U.N., which has been leading the push for a grain export deal, tentatively welcomed the new proposal to export food products without demining Ukraine’s ports.
“I think the comments made by the foreign minister in Turkey were extremely positive,” said
Stephane Dujarric,
a spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General
António Guterres.
“We have been in very close contact and we are working in close cooperation with the Turkish authorities on this issue.”
Turkey, a NATO ally that has close ties to both Russia and Ukraine, has hosted two unsuccessful rounds of peace talks between the two countries and aims to broker a peace deal eventually. Turkey’s President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan
has sought to leverage his key role in the Ukraine crisis to expand his international influence.
Officials at Ukraine’s embassy in Turkey didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the new proposal.
In addition to the talks to get grain to market through Ukrainian ports, the U.N. is working to make sure that Russia’s massive grain and fertilizer production can get to market. The effort requires the U.S. to take steps to encourage countries to buy Russian food and fertilizer products without fear that buyers, shippers or financial companies will run afoul of broad Western sanctions.
U.S. officials have worked to reassure nations but also point out that Russian grain and fertilizer are excluded from Washington’s sanctions. U.S. diplomats have criticized Russia for turning food into a weapon but haven’t publicly discussed or endorsed the talks on getting Ukrainian grain out.
Write to William Mauldin at [email protected] and Jared Malsin at [email protected]
Copyright ©2022 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
ANKARA, Turkey—Turkish and United Nations diplomats are discussing a new proposal for extracting grain currently blockaded in Ukrainian ports, by escorting freighters through a safe passage among the defensive mines that protect Black Sea ports amid the war with Russia.
The proposal is the latest effort by Turkey and the U.N. to transport Ukrainian grain out of the country. Russia’s invasion has left about 20 million metric tons of grain stranded in Ukraine, heightening fears of a global food crisis after months in which the war has already driven up the cost of food world-wide.
Earlier negotiations coordinated by the U.N. focused on removing the mines. But that generated opposition from some officials in Kyiv and raised concerns that the demining couldn’t be accomplished in time to ship an avalanche of grain expected to be harvested in coming months.
Ukrainian officials have said in the past that demining Ukraine’s ports would expose the country to further attacks by Russia. U.S. officials also expressed skepticism about previous proposals.
Now Turkish officials, who are working both with Moscow and Kyiv, are eyeing a plan to thread a passage through the mines and escort ships from ports such as Odessa to the safer waters in the Black Sea away from the war zone. Diplomats say the new plan hasn’t been worked out in detail or endorsed by Russia, which previously backed the removal of mines.
A couple on a beach in the Black Sea near the Ukrainian city of Odessa.
Photo:
oleksandr gimanov/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
“Since the locations of the mines are known, safe corridors will be established to the three ports,” said Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, on Wednesday, according to Turkey’s state-run news agency.
Mr. Cavusoglu said that under the new proposal, Ukrainian search-and-rescue ships would guide vessels carrying grain from the ports. He said that Turkey supports the new proposal but is waiting for Russia’s response.
Vasily Nebenzya,
Russia’s ambassador to the U.N., said Moscow is willing to ensure safe passage for ships in the Black Sea if nations agree on the means of getting them out of Ukraine’s ports, either through removing mines or working out a passage through them.
Both Russia and Ukraine would have to approve the plan, since both countries have deployed mines in the Black Sea near Ukraine during the war.
The Turkish foreign minister also reiterated an offer to host talks in Istanbul among the various parties involved in negotiations over Ukraine’s grain supplies.
The U.N., which has been leading the push for a grain export deal, tentatively welcomed the new proposal to export food products without demining Ukraine’s ports.
“I think the comments made by the foreign minister in Turkey were extremely positive,” said
Stephane Dujarric,
a spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General
António Guterres.
“We have been in very close contact and we are working in close cooperation with the Turkish authorities on this issue.”
Turkey, a NATO ally that has close ties to both Russia and Ukraine, has hosted two unsuccessful rounds of peace talks between the two countries and aims to broker a peace deal eventually. Turkey’s President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan
has sought to leverage his key role in the Ukraine crisis to expand his international influence.
Officials at Ukraine’s embassy in Turkey didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the new proposal.
In addition to the talks to get grain to market through Ukrainian ports, the U.N. is working to make sure that Russia’s massive grain and fertilizer production can get to market. The effort requires the U.S. to take steps to encourage countries to buy Russian food and fertilizer products without fear that buyers, shippers or financial companies will run afoul of broad Western sanctions.
U.S. officials have worked to reassure nations but also point out that Russian grain and fertilizer are excluded from Washington’s sanctions. U.S. diplomats have criticized Russia for turning food into a weapon but haven’t publicly discussed or endorsed the talks on getting Ukrainian grain out.
Write to William Mauldin at [email protected] and Jared Malsin at [email protected]
Copyright ©2022 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
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