Ships are waiting until they can transport the first cargoes of grain out of Ukraine.
ODESA, Ukraine — The first shipments of grain since the start of the war in Ukraine have been loaded onto freighters at Ukrainian Black Sea ports, preparing for their first voyages in more than five months.
President Volodymyr Zelensky and representatives of the Group of 7 industrialized countries visited Chernomorsk, one of the three ports, on Friday and said that they were ready for grain to travel to countries hard hit by food shortages.
The visit came less than a week after missiles Russian cruise ships hit the nearby port of Odessa, threatening to upset a UN-brokered deal with Turkey to allow Ukraine to start exporting grain. Ukrainian ports have been sealed off by a Russian naval blockade of the Black Sea since troops invaded the country on February 24.
In his Friday night speech, Mr Zelensky reiterated that Ukraine is ready.
"Concrete work on restoring Ukrainian grain exports began today in Odessa," he said. he said, adding, however, that he wasn't sure when the first shipment would come out. “I don't want to make predictions now; let's see how the grain export agreements will be implemented. The UN, Turkey and other international partners are responsible for the security side of this process. by ambassadors from the United States and Europe, who, together with the Ukrainian Minister of Infrastructure, urged Russia to respect the agreement and declared that it was possible that shipments could begin soon.
>"Millions of people around the world are waiting for grain to come out of this port and other Ukrainian ports," said Bridget A. Brink, U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, who was making his first visit to Odessa. "It is very important that Russia respects its commitments and allows the export of this grain."
As she spoke, one of the large freighters which was to delivering the grain - called Navi-Star - was moored at the port of Odessa near a cluster of large silver grain silos, her crew, in orange overalls, busy on deck. The Turkish-owned bulk carrier has been stuck in the port since February 19, days before the start of the invasion, according to shipping website MarineTraffic, as one of the few ships that failed to get out before the blockade.
The mechanics of transporting grain across the Black Sea with little trust between warring parties are extremely complex. The operation has several moving parties, and the parties - Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations - were still working on important elements on Friday, a UN official said.
A joint coordination center that opened in Turkey on Wednesday is working to establish standard operating procedures, including monitoring, inspection and emergency response, said Ismini Palla, a UN official, adding that teams were also still working on safe routes and corridors for incoming and outgoing vessels.
>"Once all these elements ents will be in place, we will start to see the first movements,” Ms Palla said. "The ultimate goal is to ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels."
Ukraine is one of the main exporters of wheat, barley, maize and sunflower, but its shipments plummeted after the war began, undermining a global food distribution network already strained by crop failures, drought, the pandemic...
ODESA, Ukraine — The first shipments of grain since the start of the war in Ukraine have been loaded onto freighters at Ukrainian Black Sea ports, preparing for their first voyages in more than five months.
President Volodymyr Zelensky and representatives of the Group of 7 industrialized countries visited Chernomorsk, one of the three ports, on Friday and said that they were ready for grain to travel to countries hard hit by food shortages.
The visit came less than a week after missiles Russian cruise ships hit the nearby port of Odessa, threatening to upset a UN-brokered deal with Turkey to allow Ukraine to start exporting grain. Ukrainian ports have been sealed off by a Russian naval blockade of the Black Sea since troops invaded the country on February 24.
In his Friday night speech, Mr Zelensky reiterated that Ukraine is ready.
"Concrete work on restoring Ukrainian grain exports began today in Odessa," he said. he said, adding, however, that he wasn't sure when the first shipment would come out. “I don't want to make predictions now; let's see how the grain export agreements will be implemented. The UN, Turkey and other international partners are responsible for the security side of this process. by ambassadors from the United States and Europe, who, together with the Ukrainian Minister of Infrastructure, urged Russia to respect the agreement and declared that it was possible that shipments could begin soon.
>"Millions of people around the world are waiting for grain to come out of this port and other Ukrainian ports," said Bridget A. Brink, U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, who was making his first visit to Odessa. "It is very important that Russia respects its commitments and allows the export of this grain."
As she spoke, one of the large freighters which was to delivering the grain - called Navi-Star - was moored at the port of Odessa near a cluster of large silver grain silos, her crew, in orange overalls, busy on deck. The Turkish-owned bulk carrier has been stuck in the port since February 19, days before the start of the invasion, according to shipping website MarineTraffic, as one of the few ships that failed to get out before the blockade.
The mechanics of transporting grain across the Black Sea with little trust between warring parties are extremely complex. The operation has several moving parties, and the parties - Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations - were still working on important elements on Friday, a UN official said.
A joint coordination center that opened in Turkey on Wednesday is working to establish standard operating procedures, including monitoring, inspection and emergency response, said Ismini Palla, a UN official, adding that teams were also still working on safe routes and corridors for incoming and outgoing vessels.
>"Once all these elements ents will be in place, we will start to see the first movements,” Ms Palla said. "The ultimate goal is to ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels."
Ukraine is one of the main exporters of wheat, barley, maize and sunflower, but its shipments plummeted after the war began, undermining a global food distribution network already strained by crop failures, drought, the pandemic...
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