Ukraine, Russia agree to sign deal in Istanbul to end grain crisis
US cautiously welcomes potential breakthrough, thanks to Turkish mediation, to allow safe export of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea.
In a first major compromise since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the warring countries are set to sign a deal for the safe export of Ukrainian grain tomorrow, averting a looming food crisis.
Ukrainian and Russian delegations, as well as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, will meet in Istanbul tomorrow for the signing ceremony, Turkey’s Presidency announced today.
Turkish President’s spokesman Ibrahim Kalin described the deal as “critically important for global food security.”
The deal will allow tens of millions of tons of grain stranded at Ukrainian ships and silos to be sold to world markets via a safe shipping corridor in the Black Sea. The Russian invasion has halted grain exports from Ukraine, one of the leading bread baskets of the world, stocking grain prices across the world amid dire warnings of a looming food crisis by the international community.
