Ukraine and Russia to discuss extending Black Sea grain deal
A cargo ship waiting for inspection to enter the Bosphorus Strait, October, 2012 (Photo:REUTERS/Umit Bektas)
Representatives from Ukraine, Turkey, the
UN, and Russia will convene in Istanbul on May 5, to discuss extending the
Black Sea Grain Agreement, which is set
to expire on May 18.
According to CNN, the meeting will be followed by another one next week, to discuss technical terms of the deal’s extension. The announcement was made by Turkey's Defense Minister, Hulusi Akar, who expressed optimism that the talks would yield positive results.
Recently, tensions have been rising between Russia and Ukraine over the grain agreement. On April 24, Russian Defense Ministry accused Ukraine of violating the agreement by attacking Sevastopol (in occupied Crimea) with naval drones, allegedly launched from the port of Odesa. Russia, which has routinely sought to undermine the agreement in the past, has warned of a potential threat to the deals’ extension beyond May 18.
In response, Ukrainian Military Intelligence spokesperson Andriy Yusov denied the accusations, saying that any Ukrainian operations in Crimea are focused on exclusively military targets.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has urged the UN to assist in the renewal of the grain agreement. The meeting in Istanbul presents an opportunity to resolve these issues and find a path forward.
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