Ukraine Demands Security Guarantees from Russia for Grain Exports

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry is demanding security guarantees from Russia to facilitate grain exports. This was announced by the spokesperson for Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Oleg Nikolenko, as reported by TASS.

Previously, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Russian naval forces would ensure the safe passage of Ukrainian grain-exporting vessels if Ukraine resolves the issue of clearing its territorial waters from mines.

“As a first step, Russia must withdraw its forces from the maritime area surrounding Ukraine and provide guarantees of safety against attacks on ports and commercial convoys,” wrote the spokesperson of Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to Nikolenko, Ukraine is working with its partners on the possibility of establishing an international mission, particularly under the auspices of the UN, to secure maritime routes for the export of Ukrainian agricultural products. He also mentioned that more than 20 million tons of grain are currently in Ukrainian ports.