Turkey warns of the risk of termination of the grain deal if negotiations fail

UkrAgroConsult

The grain deal may cease to operate if no positive results are achieved at the May 5 talks in Istanbul. This was announced by the press secretary of the Turkish President Ibrahim Kalin, CNN Turk reports.

He emphasized that the meeting of the delegations of Turkey, Ukraine and Russia is important for the future of the grain corridor.

“If the meeting does not make a positive contribution, grain shipments may stop on May 18. In the absence of a positive decision, there may be serious problems with the global food supply,” Kalyn added.

On April 26, Russia again blocked the Black Sea grain corridor. Negotiations on the resumption of Ukrainian grain exports at the level of deputy defense ministers of Turkey, Ukraine, and Russia are to take place on May 5 in Istanbul.

On April 24, the Russian Defense Ministry accused Ukraine of “violating” its obligations under the grain deal by attacking maritime drones in occupied Sevastopol, which were allegedly launched from the waters of the port of Odesa. The Russian side, which regularly tries to disrupt the deal, said it was “threatening another extension of the agreement after May 18.”

Andriy Yusov, spokesman for the Defense Ministry’s Main Intelligence Directorate, responded to the aggressor country’s lies and emphasized that the events in occupied Crimea concerned only military facilities.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba appealed to the UN to make efforts to resume the grain deal.

The grain deal was signed in Istanbul on July 22, 2022. The UN, Ukraine, Turkey, and Russia signed two documents to create a corridor for the export of grain from three Ukrainian ports (Chornomorsk, Odesa, and Pivdennyi), as well as to remove barriers to the export of Russian food and fertilizers.

Tags: Turkey