Six grain ships leave Ukraine ports after Russia rejoins grain deal

A day after Russia agreed to resume its participation in the UN-brokered grain deal to allow exports through the Black Sea, six grain ships have left Ukraine ports.

According to the reports, The Turkish minister of Defence, Hulusi Akar, qouted, “After the resumption of the grain initiative, six ships left Ukrainian ports.” The particpation in the Black-sea grain deal has been resumed by Russia on Wednesday. This happened after securing guarantees from Ukraine on the non-use of the humanitarian corridor and ports designated for the export of agricultural products for military operations.

The Russian Defence Minister said in a statement, “With the help of an international organisation and Turkey, the necessary written guarantees from Ukraine on the non-use of the humanitarian corridor and Ukrainian ports designated for the export of agricultural products for military operations against the Russian Federation were obtained and submitted to the Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) on November 1.”

The Ukrainian side, in particular, reportedly gave an official assurance that “the maritime humanitarian corridor will only be used in compliance with the requirements of the Black Sea Initiative and the accompanying JCC regulation,” according to Moscow.
A signing ceremony for the UN-mediated Black Sea Grain Initiative took place in Istanbul in July. According to the agreement, ships bringing grain from three ports in Ukraine transit through a designated corridor to markets around the world.

The UN-mediated Black Sea Grain effort was suspended, and India expressed worry in the Security Council that this action would likely make the global problems with food security, fuel supply, and fertiliser supply even worse.
The Black Sea Grain agreement, according to Indian ambassador R Madhu Sudan, helped bring down the price of wheat and other commodities while offering a glimpse of hope for peace in Ukraine.

Madhu Sudan, the counsellor at the Permanent Mission of India to the UN, at the UNSC briefing debate on Ukraine, said, “The initiative had resulted in export of more than nine million tonnes of grains and other food products out of Ukraine. We believe the exports had contributed to lowering prices of wheat and other commodities, evident from the drop in the FAO Food Price Index.”

The grain deal signed between Russia and Ukraine with the United Nations and Turkey paved the way for the export of 22 million Ukrainian grains which remained stuck in three Black Sea Ports, becoming a “beacon of hope” for millions of starving people across the globe.