Meeting on grain exports with Turkey, Russia, Ukraine and UN

According to CNN Turk, military delegates from Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey met with UN representatives on Wednesday in Istanbul to begin discussions about restarting grain exports from the Black Sea port of Odesa as the world food crisis intensifies.

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, which caused prices for grains, cooking oils, fuel, and fertilizer to spike, Turkey has been collaborating with the UN to mediate a settlement. Tuesday saw the latest negotiations reported by Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar.

According to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, "We are working hard, but there is still a distance to go." "A lot of people are discussing it. We would rather attempt it.

Russia and Ukraine both contribute significantly to the world's supply of wheat, and Russia also exports a lot of fertilizer, while Ukraine also produces a lot of corn and sunflower oil.

According to diplomats, specifics of the proposed plan include having Ukrainian ships direct grain ships through mined port waters, Russia consenting to a ceasefire while shipments are being transported, and Turkey conducting ship inspections with support from the UN in order to allay Russian concerns about the smuggling of weapons.

According to Pyotr Ilyichev, head of the Russian foreign ministry's division for international organizations, Russia is prepared to ease navigation for foreign commercial vessels carrying Ukrainian grain for export.

In order to prevent "arms smuggling," he continued, Russia intends to examine and regulate ships.

Another diplomatic source was cited by the news agency RIA as adding that one of Russia's requests was the removal of "obstacles to the exports" brought about by Western sanctions.

Due to the sanctions, "there are challenges for the Russian side in the fields of ship insurance, logistics, transportation services, and banking operations," the source told RIA.

Since the start of the conflict, Russia has kept up its grain exports, although there aren't many big ships since their owners are reluctant to send them there. The cost of insurance and freight has also significantly increased.

On Tuesday, Ukraine raised hopes for an increase in grain shipments despite Russia's blockade of Black Sea ports by pointing out that ships had begun to pass through a crucial Danube river mouth.

Spanish newspaper El Pais cited Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba as claiming that Kiev was "two steps away" from reaching an agreement with Moscow.

"We must handle the security issues related to Russia's position. Everything now depends on Russia since we are in the latter stages of the negotiation process, he added, adding that Moscow might yet prolong the negotiations.

More than 20 million tonnes of grain are detained in silos at Odesa as a result of Russia's invasion and maritime blockade of Ukraine, which has halted exports and left dozens of ships stranded.

The wheat crop for 2022 is already being harvested by farmers in both nations. The busiest months for dealers to ship the new harvest from both nations are typically July through November.

The upcoming harvest is also in danger since Ukraine is running out of storage space as a result of the suspension of exports.