16:54 31.08.2023

Ukrainian MFA expects Turkey to stop Russia's attempts to establish grain exports in Black Sea without resuming Ukrainian exports

2 min read
Ukrainian MFA expects Turkey to stop Russia's attempts to establish grain exports in Black Sea without resuming Ukrainian exports

The attempts of the Russian Federation to establish grain exports in the Black Sea without resuming the export of Ukrainian grain will be a serious blow to international obligations and international law, according to the comment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, which counts on Turkey's principled position in this regard.

"In this context, we expect that Turkey, which has repeatedly confirmed its unshakable position on the preservation and strict observance of international law, as well as other parties involved, will use their authority to prevent Russia's attempts to violate international obligations again and blackmail the world with new food crises," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a comment released on Thursday.

The ministry notes that the Russian Federation, after withdrawing from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, began systematically destroying the infrastructure of Ukrainian ports and grain storage sites with missile strikes in order to make it impossible to further export Ukrainian grain by sea, and, grossly violating international law, continues to hinder navigation in the Black Sea.

"Considering the possibility of supporting Russia's grain exports in the Black Sea without resuming the export of Ukrainian grain from Ukrainian ports will deal a serious blow to international obligations and international law, encourage Moscow to further aggressive actions and strengthen its sense of impunity. Ukraine, as one of the guarantors of global food security, is interested in resuming the functioning of the Black Sea Grain Initiative to continue exporting Ukrainian agricultural products to foreign markets, in particular Africa and Asia. We are also actively working on launching alternative routes. The Black Sea should remain open for free and safe trade," the Foreign Ministry stressed.

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