UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was due to arrive in Turkey on Thursday to help Russia and Ukraine agree on an elusive deal to allow grain to flow across the Black Sea.
Up to 25 million tons of wheat and other grains have been blocked in Ukrainian ports by Russian warships and landmines laid by Kyiv to stave off a feared amphibious attack.
The crisis has pushed up food prices worldwide and pushed millions of people to the brink of starvation in the world’s poorest countries.
A UN spokesman declined to say whether a final agreement would be signed during talks with the warring factions’ delegations in Istanbul on Friday.
Guterres attended “as part of his efforts to ensure full global access to Ukrainian food and Russian food and fertilizer,” UN spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters in New York.
NTV said Guterres could meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday.
– Russian demands –
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu earlier on Thursday said he was “optimistic” that last-minute conditions for a deal put by Russia could be overcome.
“We have hope for grain,” Cavusoglu said in a television interview. “We hope to give good news in the coming days.”
The first direct talks between the warring parties’ military delegations since March — attended by Turkish and UN officials in Istanbul last week — produced a first draft of how to resolve the impasse.
The sides were due to meet again this week to sign a possible formal agreement.
But Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to derail the talks, warning on Tuesday that he expects any deal will also address his own country’s stalled grain exports.
The five-month war is being waged by two of the world’s largest grain producers in one of Europe’s most fertile regions.
Almost all grain is normally shipped from the region via the Black Sea.
Cavusoglu acknowledged Putin’s concerns.
“If we solve this problem, not only the export route for grain and sunflower oil from Ukraine will be opened, but also for products from Russia,” he said.
“Even if these Russian products are not affected by sanctions, there are deadlocks related to maritime transport, insurance and the banking system,” he said.
“The United States and the EU have promised to lift these,” he said. “I’m optimistic.”
– Three connectors –
NATO member Turkey has enjoyed good working relations with both Moscow and Kyiv throughout the conflict.
A member of the Kyiv negotiating delegation said supplies could resume from three ports under full Ukrainian control.
“Exports would be through three ports: Odessa, Pivdennyi and Chornomorsk. But we hope to expand them in the future,” Ukrainian lawmaker Rustem Umerov told reporters.
He added that the security of the supplies is being monitored by a UN monitoring group based in Istanbul.
Umerov also said that under the expected deal, Russian ships should not be allowed into Ukrainian waters.
“We don’t trust them even if they sign an agreement with the UN. This is an aggressor country,” he said.
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