Lavrov on Mine Clearance of Ports With Turkey and Ukrainian Grain Exports

If Ankara is ready to assist in clearing the waters of the ports for the export of Ukrainian grain, then the armed forces of the Russian Federation and Turkey will be able to agree on how to best carry this out, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

"Our Turkish partners said they are ready to help with the demining efforts. I believe our military will agree on how they can best organize this, so that ships can go out to sea from the mined areas, and then we guarantee to deliver them either independently or with Turkish partners to the straits and further to the Mediterranean Sea," the minister stated during a press conference.

The United Nations has repeatedly warned of a threat of food crisis due to grain deficits, with the West accusing Russia of obstructing the supply of Ukrainian grain to global markets; Moscow has categorically denied such allegations. At the same time, Ukrainian authorities have created numerous obstacles to grain exports. In addition to the burning of grain revealed at the Mariupol port, Ukrainian forces have mined the Black Sea, preventing the export of grain by ships to the global markets.