Talks between Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and UN delegates to resume grain exports from Ukraine across the Black Sea have reached a solution. We will put in place a coordination center that will ensure safe ship rentals, the Turkish Ministry of Defense announced on Wednesday.
– Turkish Defense Minister HUlusi Akar has negotiated an agreement between Ukraine and Russia with the UN: They seem to have found a way to solve grain exports. Photo: TURKISH DEFENCE MINISTRY
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Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said the agreement they now agree on will be signed next week. The parties have also agreed on common checkpoints in the ports from which the grain will be exported, according to Reuters.
The talks were made with the aim of starting exports from Odesa. The global food crisis is increasing, and among other things the UN has sounded the alarm.
And at least in this limited area, the Russian delegation and the Ukrainian delegation managed to reach an agreement.
Turkey’s role as a peace broker
Earlier in the war, Turkey led peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
– If the hope for peace in Ukraine is to last, look to Turkey, writes Institute of Peace in the United States.
– ARCHIVE PHOTO: The Russian naval vessel Dmitriy Rogachev 375 en route through the Turkish-controlled Bosphorus Strait near Istanbul. In the background we see the famous Suleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul. The Bosphorus Strait has been a strategic point to control throughout European history, and if Russia does not get through here, they will have a problem. Photo: OZAN KOSE
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The institute emphasizes that Europe and the USA must maintain a communication channel to Russia. Turkey’s role as a facilitator of talks and Turkey’s opportunity to be a more active peace broker must be understood and maintained, the institute writes.
This time, the UN was represented in the negotiations in Turkey, while neither the United States nor NATO were invited. There was nevertheless a negotiation between Russia and Ukraine where they agreed on a cooperation that will ensure grain exports across the Black Sea.
Russian offensive in sleep mode
At the same time as the negotiations are underway, the Russian forces in Ukraine have not continued with the offensive, according to ISW (Institute for The Study Of War). On Wednesday 12 July, ISW reports that the Russian forces are regrouping, resting and putting in place new equipment. At the same time, the Russian forces are bombing areas that could prepare the ground for further offensives. Limited attacks are also carried out, according to ISW, to gather information.
ISW emphasizes that the attack has not stopped, but that the activity of the Russian forces is now not primarily offensive.
UN Secretary-General: A Hope in a Dark World
“Today in Istanbul, we have seen a major step forward to secure the export of Ukrainian food across the Black Sea,” the UN Secretary-General wrote on Twitter after Wednesday’s successful negotiations.
He calls the agreement a ray of hope in a world darkened by crises.
A ray of hope in a world darkened by crises.
Today in Istanbul, we have seen a major step forward to ensure the export of Ukrainian food products through the Black Sea.
I salute the commitment of all those working to secure an agreement for our common humanity.
— Antonio Guterres (@antonioguterres) July 13, 2022
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