A new twist in the war between Russia and Ukraine: Russia today announces that it is prepared to allow ships with agricultural products from Ukraine to be shipped through the Black Sea, in return for the lifting of European sanctions.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko told the Interfax news agency today (May 25). He is referring to a 'humanitarian corridor', a safe passage in a war zone and in this case for agricultural products. This came after the EU previously discussed the idea of using these corridors. It is unclear exactly what and how many sanctions this will entail.
Last week, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it wanted to consider opening the Ukrainian Black Sea ports when sanctions were lifted, in order to relieve pressure on the global food supply. This statement from Moscow came after United Nations food chief David Beasley held Vladimir Putin responsible for the millions of people going hungry as a result of the Russian blockade.
Mines hinder ports
Currently, more than 20 million tons of grain are still stuck in the silos in Ukraine and exports are only very sparse by road and rail. If the ports actually open, it is far from clear how quickly this can happen. According to the Russian minister, mines must first be cleared from Ukrainian ports.
The question also remains whether Ukraine and Western countries want to agree to Russia's conditions for lifting sanctions. So far, none of these parties have been willing to respond to a Russian request for more flexible treatment. Earlier, a proposal was made from the Baltic countries and the British side to help Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea in a convoy and accompanied by Western warships.