Turkey said on Wednesday a United Nations plan to set up a sea corridor for Ukrainian grain exports overseen by Ankara was “reasonable”, but required more talks with Moscow and Kyiv to ensure ships would be safe.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February halted Kyiv’s Black Sea grain exports, threatening a global food crisis. The United Nations wants the two sides, as well as maritime neighbour and NATO member Turkey, to agree a corridor.
But there are big hurdles to a deal, including persuading Russia to ease its blockade of Ukrainian ports, Kyiv to clear mines it has laid, and then convincing shipping and insurance companies that the corridor is safe to use. And time is running out, with little storage space left for Ukraine’s next harvest starting at the end of July.
WHY DO UKRAINIAN GRAIN EXPORTS MATTER?
Russia and Ukraine together account for nearly a third of global wheat supply, and their importance has been underscored by an Indian export ban as well as adverse…