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Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced, in a press conference held on Wednesday, with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Ankara, the possibility of creating a mechanism to open a safe passage in the Black Sea for the transport of grain and products.
“We are talking regarding a mechanism that can be established between the United Nations, Russia, Ukraine and Turkey to create a corridor for transporting grain, and Ankara believes that this mechanism is viable,” Davutoglu said.
He added, “If there are products that the world will import from Ukraine and Russia, we must pave the way for that together,” noting that there is a more positive atmosphere than it was a few weeks ago to return to negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. He explained that various ideas were put forward regarding the export of Ukrainian grain to international markets, indicating that the United Nations has a plan in this regard.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he hoped the problems with Ukraine’s crucial grain exports would be resolved – as long as Kyiv clears the waters around its ports.
Lavrov claimed that Russia had already done its part by making the necessary commitments so that the ships might sail safely.
Lavrov made these statements at a press conference in Ankara following talks on this issue with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu.
Talks focus on efforts to open a security corridor for the shipment of Ukrainian grain – grain and wheat in particular – stuck in the country’s ports due to the Russian blockade.
“At the moment we have 20-25 million tons of grain stuck in it. That might be 70-75 million tons in the fall,” Zelensky said on Monday.
At the request of the United Nations, Turkey offered its services to escort sea convoys from Ukrainian ports, despite the presence of mines – some of which were detected near the Turkish coast.
The two sides accuse each other of destroying agricultural areas, which might exacerbate global food shortages.
“Those who pretend to be concerned regarding the global food crisis are, in fact, destroying agricultural fields and infrastructure, where fires are raging on a large scale,” the Ukrainian military said on Tuesday, referring to the attacks on the southern city of Mykolaiv, which is “bombed every day.” .
Over 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers transferred to Russia
picture released, Getty Images
Two soldiers of the Ukrainian army
More than 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers captured in Mariupol have reportedly been transferred to Russia, according to Russia’s state-owned Itar-Tass news agency.
The Russian news agency quoted a law enforcement source as saying that the soldiers were taken to Russia for interrogation.
The same source said that there will be more prisoner transfers, but the Ukrainian side did not confirm this news.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously said he believed Russia was holding more than 2,500 defenders of the Azovstal Steel Complex – including border guards, police and regional defense personnel.
Marines, border guards, and Azov fighters from the Ukrainian forces had held off the Russian advance for more than eighty days – and saved valuable time for Ukraine to defend itself – and are thus national heroes to the Ukrainians.
After their arrest, there were calls from Russian politicians to treat them not as prisoners of war, but as “terrorists and war criminals”.
There are fears that their transfer to Russia for “investigation” might be the beginning of this process and the end of Ukrainians’ hopes of returning them through a prisoner exchange, according to the BBC’s Joe Inwood, from Kyiv.
Ukrainian forces “steadfast“ In Severodonetsk
Ukraine says Russia has halted all other operations to focus on its attack on Severodonetsk. The governor of the region said he expected the invaders to intensify their artillery and missile bombardment on the city before launching what he described as a massive attack.
But Serhiy Heyday, governor of the Luhansk region, said the Ukrainians would not give up Severodonetsk, even if they had to withdraw to stronger positions.
The Ukrainian army claims to have “repelled” the Russian offensive in Severodonetsk: one of the last enclaves in the eastern Luhansk region that has not yet fallen into the hands of the occupying forces.
The city has reportedly seen Russian attacks and Ukrainian counter-attacks during heavy fighting in recent days – and analysts say it is hard to tell which army controls which area.
Britain’s Ministry of Defense said in its morning update that Ukrainian defenses were “holding up” in the volatile eastern city of Severodonetsk, despite Russian attacks from three directions.
The Defense Ministry added that it was unlikely that either side had captured large areas there during the previous day.
While Russia is focusing its attacks on the eastern Donbass region, it remains in a “defensive” position elsewhere.
Ukrainian forces achieved “some success” in their counterattacks in the Kherson region, and regained a foothold to the east of the Ingolets River.
Both sides find it difficult to use forces to launch new offensives while maintaining defensive lines across a 500-kilometre (310-mile) front.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky predicted in his evening video address on Tuesday that “the day will come when the number of losses, even for Russia, will exceed the permissible limit.”
Just days ago, the city of Severodonetsk seemed on the verge of falling into the hands of the Russians, but the Ukrainian forces launched a counterattack and managed to hold out, despite warnings that the Russian forces far outnumbered.
