A crucial step in ending a global food supply crisis due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine is being discussed by Turkey and Russia.
The port city of Odessa was in southern Ukraine before the war. Since Russia invaded in February, Ukrainian exports have stopped.
An anonymous senior Turkish official said that Turkey is in talks to open a route for Ukrainian grain exports to leave the country's Black Sea ports and travel through the Bosphorus strait.
One of the world's five largest exporters of wheat, corn, and sunflower oil and meal is Ukraine, which has 20 million tons of grain stuck in it.
Due to port blockades, grain exports from the country are down more than 60 percent compared to the year before.
Both Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of placing mines at Ukrainian ports.
Turkish vessels may also serve as naval escort for ships containing the Ukrainian grain, an operation backed Monday by the United Kingdom and Lithuania, but Russia may be more receptive to Turkish escort given Turkey's warmer stance toward Russia.
Russia is willing to allow for humanitarian passage of Ukrainian grain exports if Western sanctions on Russian exports are lifted, according to Russia's deputy foreign minister. The director of the United Nations World Food Programme, David Beasley, criticized Russia for its role in the food crisis, saying the Russian blockade of Ukrainian ports may cause millions of deaths. According to the translation of his comments, the Kremlin spokesman said that the food shortages were caused by illegal actions of the West.
Russian President Vladimir Putin tried to hold the world to ransom by blocking grain exports during a Thursday press conference, according to the British Foreign Secretary.
World Outrage Grows Toward Russia.
May Grain Exports Down More Than 60% Compared To 2021.
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