Ukraine and Russia on Friday signed an agreement that aims to free the global food crisis caused by the delivery of blocked black sea seeds, ending for months and sending wheat prices that fall to the last level seen before the Moscow invasion.
The first major agreement between the warring parties since the February invasion to Ukraine had to help alleviate “acute hunger” which according to the United Nations faced 47 million additional people due to war.
The hostility between Moscow and Kyiv spilled into the signing ceremony – Postponed briefly by a dispute about the appearance of the flag around the table and the rejection of Ukraine to place his name on the same document as Russia.
Both sides finally signed a separate but identical agreement before the Secretary General of the UN Antonio Guterres and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the luxurious Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul.
Today, there is a flare in the Black Sea – Lighthouse of hope, flare is likely, flare relief,” Guterres said shortly before signing.
ERDOGAN – Key players in the negotiations who have good relations with Moscow and Kyiv – said the agreement would “hopefully revive the path to peace”.
But Ukraine entered the ceremony frankly warned that they would carry out “direct military responses” if Russia violated the agreement and attacked her ship or carry out attacks around the port.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky then said the responsibility to uphold an agreement would fall to the United Nations, which together with Turkey is a co-guarantee of agreement.
The agreement includes points -Points about running Ukraine wheat boats along a safe corridor that avoids the mines known in the Black Sea.
A large number of wheats and other seeds have been blocked in Ukraine ports by Russian warships and land mines that are placed by Kyiv to avoid feared amphibian attacks.
Zelensky said that around 20 million tons of products from last year’s harvest and plants will currently be exported based on the agreement, estimating the value of the Ukrainian seed stock around $ 10 billion.
After the agreement, the price of wheat fell to the last level was seen before the Russian invasion – even when some analysts declare skeptical about the agreement.
In Chicago, the price of wheat for shipping in September dropped 5.9 percent to $ 7.59 per bushel, equivalent to about 27 kilograms. Prices in Europe down by the same amount.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told the Kremlin state media after attending the signing ceremony that he hoped that the agreement began to work “in the next few days”.
He showed that Russia had managed to get a separate promise from Washington and Brussels to lift all restrictions on their own seeds and other agricultural exports.
The United States and European countries praised the agreement while urged Moscow to comply with its rules.A US official said the agreement was “well structured” enough to monitor Russian compliance.
The European Union called for the “Quick Implementation” of the agreement while British Foreign Minister Liz Truss said London “would oversee to ensure Russia’s actions were in accordance with his words”.The four parties must first arrange the center of order and joint control in Istanbul which monitors the ship and overcome the dispute.
They have not finished how the ship will be examined for weapons before returning empty to the Port of Ukraine.
Ukraine farmers who have witnessed their silo are filled with seeds they cannot sell meet with Istanbul’s agreement in the hope that is guarded.This gives hope but you do not believe what Russia said,” said Mykola Zaverukha farmers.
The silk has been filled with 13,000 tons of seeds and in the danger of overflowing because this year’s harvest began to enter.
Russia cannot be relied upon, they have shown themselves year after year,” he told AFP in the South Mykolaiv region.
