KIEV, June 2. /TASS/. Russia must guarantee the safety of commercial convoys and sea ports for the export of grain, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said on Thursday.
"As the first step, Russia must withdraw its forces from Ukraine’s maritime area and provide security guarantees of non-aggression against ports and commercial convoys," he wrote on Facebook (an Internet platform banned in Russia since it is owned by Meta corporation deemed extremist by Russian authorities).
Russian top diplomat Sergey Lavrov stated earlier that Russia’s Navy would provide safe passage for ships carrying Ukrainian grain if Kiev tackled clearing coastal waters of mine.
According to Nikolenko, Ukraine is working with its partners to create an international mission, particularly under UN auspices, which would assume the responsibility to ensure the operation of maritime export routes for Ukraine’s agricultural goods.
"About 22 million tonnes of grain are stuck at ports and cannot be delivered to consumers, first and foremost, in Africa and Asia. Alternative land routes won’t fully resolve the issue because of their low capacity," Nikolenko noted, adding that Ukraine remained committed to seeking ways to unblock routes passing through the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov in order to prevent a global food crisis.