Russia has been blockading Ukraine’s Black Sea ports for months. (95% of Ukraine’s food exports traveled this route.) Which means the world is suffering from food shortages. And, it also means Ukrainian farmers lack the funds to purchase new supplies to grow the next crop. But, even if they had the cash, they don’t have any space where they can deliver the crop harvest that is waiting to be exported, since the granaries are full and loaded ships are stuck in the ports.
(There are alternative methods to transport the food- via train or truck to a friendly Western neighbor or via barge on the Danube- but those cost are prohibitive- and are limited to smaller freight deliveries. Keep in mind that some 60 million tons of grain are to be exported from Ukraine this year! And, the best the Ukraine has done so far has only been 2 million tons of grain a month.)
But, that may change. Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, and UN have narrowed a plan to resume Black Sea export of Ukrainian grain. The program will be coordinated from Istanbul (Turkey), under the auspices of the United Nations. What is being awaiting is the signoff from Vladimir Putin, which may occur when he meets with Recep Erdogan (Turkey’s president) this week. (Putin is rumored to be in Turkey as you are reading this!)
The plan is to allow export from three Ukrainian ports, using Ukrainian vessels. The Turkish Navy will inspect the ships to ensure that they are weapons-free. A series of mine-sweeping campaigns will also be needed to clear the routes from the mines installed by Russia.
Let’s hope this happens now.
I actually just read this morning that Putin and Erdogan are about to travel to Tehran for talks – let’s hope the negotiations will go well. There are so many innocent people suffering from this situation.
That is the desire, isn’t it?
I had no idea, thanks for sharing this important information.
Let’s hope the deliveries start VERY soon.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Glad to oblige, Karen.
Roy, I hope with you! This is a very important issue! I hope Putin is adding up the costs incurred by his unnecessary war vs. the benefits of trade agreements. I pray about this every day. Thanks for writing about it.
Thanks for adding to the conversation, Kebba!
How I hope this plan works. So many people are suffering and again thank you Roy for all your expert knowledge.
I’m with you on that, Martha! We need to get the food distributed to those folks who desperatel need it.
So many people are suffering, including relatively far away places like Africa. I can only hope a deal is being reached in the meetings that happened Tuesday (commenting on Wednesday). I’m not sure how many details have been released yet. What an overall tragedy this has been for the world.
Let’s hope Turkey and Russia seal that deal, Alana.