Unblocking ports: Ukraine to reject any agreements if its interests not taken into account
This is underscored in the statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Ukrinform reports.
The Ministry notes that Ukraine makes every effort to unblock seaports to prevent the global food crisis and is currently working with the UN and partners to create a humanitarian corridor for the export of Ukrainian agricultural products.
"Given Russia's recent missile strike on a grain terminal in Mykolayiv, we cannot rule out Russia's plans to use such a corridor to attack Odesa and southern Ukraine. That is why effective security guarantees are needed to resume shipping," reads the statement.
The Ministry emphasizes that such guarantees should be provided by supplying Ukraine with appropriate weapons to protect the coast from threats from the sea and by involving naval forces of third countries in patrolling the relevant part of the Black Sea water area.
The Foreign Ministry also underscores that it appreciates Turkey's efforts to unblock Ukrainian ports, noting that there are currently no agreements on this issue between Ukraine, Turkey, and Russia.
"At the same time, we emphasize that decisions must be made with the participation of all parties involved. We will reject any agreements that do not take the interests of Ukraine into account," the Foreign Ministry stresses.
In addition, the Ministry notes that Ukraine has already started supplying grain to the world market by trucks, rail and river transport, but this issue can be resolved comprehensively only by unblocking Ukrainian ports, diplomats state.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine also calls on all interested partners to focus efforts together with Ukraine on finding a balanced solution that will lift Russia's blockade of ports while providing clear security guarantees for Ukraine's Black Sea coast and relevant humanitarian corridors.
On February 24, Russia launched a full-scale war against Ukraine. As a result of the aggression and the sea blockade, more than 20 million tonnes of grain destined for export remain stuck at the Ukrainian ports. This has posed a threat of global hunger, as almost half of all supplies under the UN World Food Program account for the Ukrainian grain.
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