Russia-Ukraine conflict: Turkey says grain exports deal to be signed off next week

The war Russia is waging on Ukraine has also led to the obstruction of exports of Ukrainian grain. Turkey said that the agreement to resume grain exports is set to be signed off next week.

Reuters reports that the deal between the United Nations, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine to resume exports of grain in the Black Sea is set to be signed off next week. However, UN head Antonio Guterres said there is still more work to be done before peace talks could take place to end the war that is already in its fourth month.

Turkey’s defense minister Hulusi Akar said the deal that would be signed next week would include joint controls for checking shipments in harbors. Turkey would be ensuring the safety of export routes in the Black Sea. Turkey will also be establishing a coordination center with Ukraine, Russia, and the UN.

Guterres offered a more cautious stance, telling reporters that he is hopeful the agreement would be finalized next week but remained optimistic.

When it came to peace talks between Russia and Ukraine over the war, which began when Russian forces crossed the eastern border into Ukraine in February, Guterres said both sides have shown they could engage, “but for peace, we still have a long way to go.”

Prices increased in grains, cooking oil, fuel, and fertilizer as a result of Russia’s war on Ukraine. The invasion and the blockade by Russian forces in the Black Sea stalled exports, and dozens of ships were left stranded with 20 million tons of grain remaining in silos in Odesa.

Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba ruled out ceding territory to Russia as part of any peace deal, saying that there are no peace talks happening between Moscow and Kyiv. Kuleba cited that Moscow’s continued aggression on Ukraine has frozen peace talks.

Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau explained the difficult move in granting an exemption from sanctions many countries have imposed on Russia to return a repaired wind turbine that is needed for the Nordstream 1 gas pipeline.

Trudeau said the sanctions target Russian leader Vladimir Putin “and his enablers and aren’t designed to harm our allies and their populations,” adding that Ottawa remains in support of Ukraine.