Zelensky says he discussed with the NATO boss on the "unblocking" of the grain corridor in the Black Sea

2023-07-22 13:45:49

Discussions with Ukrainian President and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg are said to have taken place on the “unblocking” of the grain corridor in the Black Sea. The agreement on the export of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea expires on Monday evening.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday he had a telephone conversation with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on the “unblocking” of the grain corridor in the Black Sea, a few days after the end of a crucial agreement with Russia on the subject.

“We have (…) identified with Mr. Stoltenberg the priority and future steps necessary for the unblocking and sustainable exploitation of the grain corridor in the Black Sea”, indicated Mr. Zelensky on Twitter.

For the Ukrainian president, the “current situation in the Black Sea” poses risks for world food security.

UN concerns

On Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he was trying to convince his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to relaunch the agreement on the export of Ukrainian cereals via the Black Sea, which expired on Monday evening.

“I think we will manage to ensure the continuation (of the humanitarian corridor) by talking in detail with Mr. Putin,” Mr. Erdogan told Turkish journalists during his flight back from a regional tour, according to remarks reported by the official Anadolu news agency.

The Turkish head of state calls on “Western countries to follow up on the expectations of Mr. Putin” who opposed the extension of the agreement signed in July 2022 in Istanbul with Ukraine under the aegis of Turkey and the United Nations.

Russia has assured that it is ready to return to the agreement if its requests are carried out “in their entirety”. Moscow claims in particular that its own deliveries of agricultural products and fertilizers are hampered by Western sanctions.

The UN expressed its concern on Thursday, denouncing “the negative effect on world prices of wheat and maize, which is hurting everyone, especially vulnerable populations in the countries of the South”.