Ukraine is ”giving maximum effort” to unblock seaports and prevent a global food crisis, according to a statement from the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
”Together with the UN and our partners, we are trying to create a humanitarian corridor for the export of Ukrainian agricultural products,” the ministry said on Tuesday.
”Ukraine has already started supplying grain to the world market by truck, rail, and river transport. We are doing all we can, but this issue can be definitively resolved by unblocking Ukrainian ports,” the statement added. ”We appeal to all interested partners, together with Ukraine, to focus their efforts on finding a balanced solution that will lift the Russian blockade of ports, while at the same time provide clear security guarantees for the Ukrainian Black Sea coast and relevant humanitarian corridors.”
The ministry also said that it could not exclude the possibility that Russia would use a sea corridor as a way to attack Odesa and southern Ukraine, adding that ”for this reason, effective security guarantees are required to restore export activities.”
”Such guarantees should be provided by supplying Ukraine with appropriate weapons to defend the coast from threats coming from the sea and by involving naval forces of third countries to patrol the relevant area of the Black Sea,” the statement said.
The ministry also noted its appreciation for ”Turkey’s efforts to unblock Ukrainian ports,” although an agreement has yet to be reached between Turkey, Russia and Ukraine. The statement added that authorities ”will reject any agreements that do not factor in the interests of Ukraine.”
The statement comes as global leaders have condemned a months-long blockade by Russian forces at key ports in Ukraine and Russia is coming under increasing fire for fueling a growing global food crisis.
Russia claimed Monday that it has created conditions for two maritime humanitarian corridors to allow for the safe movement of ships in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, according to a statement posted to Telegram.