Posted on 06/06/2022 12:39:43 PM PDT by blam
For days the United Nations has been in (so far unsuccessful) talks on cobbling together an agreement on plans to unblock Black Sea grain exports from Ukrainian ports, including controversial discussions with Russia, which has stood accused of ‘weaponizing’ global food supply with its military blockade of key ports. Moscow has in turn charged that Ukraine said ports, making tanker traffic impossible, while also saying the West must ease sanctions if it hopes to get crucial grain exports flowing again.
UN officials have said President Vladimir Putin’s offer to lift the blockade if sanctions are dropped is “complicating” the already “fragile” negotiations. Washington has been watching with skepticism: “The bottom line is that, apart from leveraging overland routes, we need to get the ports back up and running so we can boost food supplies for those most in need,” a State Department spokesperson said in weekend comments.
Image: Pixabay
Russia has reportedly reached an agreement with Turkey to erect a de-mined ‘grain corridor’ which would provide safe passage to Ukrainian grain cargo ships out of the Black Sea port of Odessa via joint military escorts.
Turkish media source Daily Sabah is reporting the following on Monday:
Russian government plans to allow ships carrying grain supplies to leave the port of Odessa in Ukraine, according to a report, easing a blockade that has triggered fears of widespread shortages and hunger.
The Russian leadership has agreed with Kyiv and Ankara on a scheme to release grain shipments from Odessa, which has been subject to a blockade, the pro-government Izvestia reported, citing government circles.
“In the territorial waters of the neighboring country, Turkish military forces will take over the demining and they will also escort the ships as far as neutral waters,” Monday’s report said.
Russian warships would then escort the vessels carrying grain to the Bosporus.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov previously told reporters the following in recent a press conference, according to Yahoo News citing regional sources:
A conversation (between the Russian President Vladimir Putin) and President Erdoğan has resulted in an agreement that our Turkish colleagues will try to help to organize the demining of Ukrainian seaports in order to release ships which were technically taken hostage together with cargo needed in developing countries.
It’s as yet unclear if the Ukrainian side has actually signed onto the reported deal, or whether it was involved in negotiating or possibly had its interests represented by Turkey in any way.
The report continues: “Lavrov said this agreement stipulates that Ukraine will not use the demining process to strengthen its military capability and will not disrupt the Russian navy.”
Russia and Turkey have announced an agreement to create a de-mined ‘grain corridor’ for military escorts of Ukrainian grain cargo ships out of the Black Sea port of Odessa pic.twitter.com/muEJx4Uyyy
— Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) June 6, 2022
This agreement which is being reported from the Russian side appears to have taken place outside of UN channels, and it’s uncertain how it will be received in the West,/B>, given that recently the UK and some European backers of Ukraine have floated their own plans for a ‘safe corridor’ established by an international naval escort. Russia has of course rejected these offers to Ukraine of Western naval escorts.
Turkey would have to approve any potential final agreed upon international plan, given that it controls passage of foreign ships through the Dardanelles and Bosporus straits based on the Montreux Convention.
The wording of the Kremlin statement announcing the possible Russia-Turkey demining plan is interesting given it accuses Ukraine of holding commercial shipping “hostage”.
U.S. efforts to pressure Russia against buying stolen Ukrainian grain might fail. This comment to the NYT from a Kenyan research director is illuminating:
“Africans don’t care where they get their food from, and if someone is going to moralize about that, they are mistaken”
— Samuel Ramani (@SamRamani2) June 6, 2022
Ukraine for its part has charged Russia with stealing and then selling off vital Ukrainian grain while holding the global food supply hostage, and blackmailing world powers for the sake of sanctions relief.,/B>
However, one analyst was cited in The NY Times as saying of the hard-hit African continent which remains very heavily dependent on Ukrainian grain exports, “Africans don’t care where they get their food from, and if someone is going to moralize about that, they are mistaken.”
The French nuclear fuel comes from either Russia or Niger. The Russians already evicted the French army and their puppets from CAR and Mali, with Niger in crosshairs. That’s particularly funny in light of the European efforts to get rid of Russian energy.
The French nuclear fuel comes from either Russia or Niger. The Russians already evicted the French army and their puppets from CAR and Mali, with Niger in crosshairs. That’s particularly funny in light of the European efforts to get rid of Russian energy.
I don’t care about the French, either.
L
Yep, the French are about to realize it as well and here goes the American influence in Europe.
The way the economic component of this war is going, Putin is set to win more than just Ukraine, even though his initial objectives were particularly modest.
It is particularly finny that the economic war was declared by the West on Russia and yet Russia is benefiting big time, whereas the fuel and food price in Europe are skyrocketing.
I envision the real incomes in Russia to double by the end of the year if counted in USD and Euros. Would euros be able to afford electricity and enough food by next Spring is up to debate.
So it’s a war now? And you admit larger territorial ambitions?
Man, was that easy to get out of you.
Thanks for finally admitting it.
L
Why territorial ambitions? I am talking about economy and geopolitical influence. DC-based globalists have overplayed their hand so badly.
You said it’s a war.
What happened to “special military operation”?
Oh, and it’s a shame about those two generals….
Damned shame it didn’t take longer for them to roast alive.
L
You are talking like a particularly evil individual. Your small soul needs salvation.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1534060252634685441 (Haber Turk source, but available from multiple sources).
So the President of the EU has spelled it out to the Russian ambassador in such blunt terms the ambassador walked out.
Russian bombs on the agricultural infrastructure, and the rail infrastructure; Russian mines; and Russian ships at sea are what’s blocking the shipment of Ukrainian grain.
Oddly enough, STOLEN Ukrainian grain on RUSSIAN ships around the seas without any difficulty at all. It’s just everybody elses’ boats that can’t move.
How peculiar.
Nobody in the Third World believes in it. Everybody and their dog knows that it is the West’s fault.
Well, the bribed despots and their peasantry might think that. I don’t think the more independently minded governments buy it anymore.
The EU just pointed out Russian ships with Russian and stolen Ukrainian grain are moving freely around the world without any European impediment; it’s funny how only the non-Russian ships with Ukrainian grain on them seem unable to sail away from the Ukrainian coastline and the only ships in their way are Russian.
Is Europe blockading itself? Nah.
We’ll see. I think today’s message from the EU president carried far more weight than Russia’s silent walk-out did.
Nobody takes the EU seriously. The mines are Ukrainian, bombing the infrastructure is a normal part of war. Interested governments are going to get all the grain they want from Russia and India.
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