In a major breakthrough, Russia and Ukraine signed a deal in Istanbul for resuming exports of grains from Ukrainian Black Sea ports
In a major breakthrough, Russia and Ukraine today, i.e., Friday, July 22, 2022, signed a deal in Istanbul for resuming exports of grains from the Black Sea ports in Ukraine.
The deal was signed by the Government Ministers of both the sides. The ministers avoided sitting at the same table and refrained from shaking of hands. Further, instead of their respective flags, the U.N. banners were placed between them.
Speaking on the occasion, the President of Turkey – Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, “We have carried out intensive work together with the UN and have been in constant contact with representatives of Russia and Ukraine.”
He also said that the grain export deal signed by Russia and Ukraine will prevent billions of people from facing the danger of famine.
The Secretary General of U.N. – Antonio Guterres tweeted,
The agreement signed today by Ukraine, the Russian Federation & Türkiye under UN auspices opens a path for commercial food exports from Ukraine in the Black Sea.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) July 22, 2022
It will help avoid a food shortage catastrophe for millions worldwide.
It is a beacon of hope, possibility & relief.
The deal would open the way to significant volumes of commercial food exports from three key Ukrainian ports – Odesa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny. The U.N. would set up a coordination centre to monitor implementation of the deal.
Separately, Ukraine’s largest steel firm – Metinvest has accused Russia of looting steel worth U.S. $ 600 million (£- 500 million) from plants and ports in Ukraine. Some part of that steel was bound for Europe and the United Kingdom (U.K.). It is now being sent to Russia and from there it is being sold to Asia and Africa. The firm owns the Azovstal plant that became the last holdout of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians during the devastation of the city of Mariupol.
A total of 300 employees and 200 employees’ relatives were killed in the assault on the Azovstal plant, which together with its sister plant Ilyich accounted for 40% of all Ukraine steel production.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Executive Officer Metinvest – Yuriy Ryzhenkov said, “What they’re doing is basically looting. They’re stealing not only our products, but also some of those products already belong to the European customers. So basically, they’re not only stealing from us, they’re stealing from the Europeans as well.”
Like many Ukrainian companies, Metinvest has become a part-military, part-humanitarian organization. The company is making bulletproof vests. It is providing steel for underground bunkers and armoured vehicles. Ryzhenkov also said that Russians don’t need Mariupol, they don’t need Donbas. They either need all of Ukraine or nothing.
