Zelenskyy says ‘some progress’ in grain export negotiations

• Ukraine, one of the world's leading grain producers, has been unable to export grain since Russia's invasion

Ukraine President Zelenskyy said that there was “some progress” on an agreement to restore grain shipments stopped by Russia in four-way discussions in Turkey on Wednesday.

“We are indeed making significant efforts to restore the supply of food to the world market. And I am grateful to the United Nations and Turkey for their respective efforts,” Zelenskyy said in his video address.

“The success of this story is needed not only by our state but also, without exaggeration, by the whole world,” the Ukrainian leader said. “If we manage to remove the Russian threat to navigation in the Black Sea, it will remove the severity of the world food crisis.”

Ukraine, one of the world's leading grain producers, has been unable to transfer grain since Russia's invasion on February 24. In addition, Kyiv accuses Moscow of impeding and stealing its grain.

Russia's naval blockade of Ukraine has halted exports, leaving dozens of ships stranded and locking almost 20 million tonnes of grain stuck in silos at Odesa.

Picture Credits: Reuters 

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