Ukraine will only sign the long-awaited agreement on unblocking grain exports with the UN and Turkey, with Russia expected to sign a separate agreement, an adviser to the Ukrainian presidency announced on Friday.
"Ukraine is not signing any documents with Russia. We are signing an agreement with Turkey and the UN and making commitments to them. Russia is signing a mirror agreement with Turkey and the UN,” Mikhailo Podoliak tweeted.
He warned that Ukraine would not accept any escort by Russian ships of its exports or the presence of any Moscow representative in its ports, promising an “immediate military response” to any Russian “provocation” at the end of this agreement.
“All inspections of transport vessels will be carried out by joint groups in Turkish waters if necessary,” he added. At the same time, the Ukrainian Ministry of Infrastructure announced that the delegation from Kyiv to the talks had arrived in Istanbul for the signing of the text.
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“The Ukrainian delegation headed by Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov arrived in Istanbul to negotiate a solution to the grain issue,” the ministry said on Telegram. He accompanied his message with a photograph showing the members of the delegation talking around a table with the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres.
“The Secretary-General once again expressed his support for the unblocking of Ukrainian ports and assured that security is a top priority for the UN,” the Ukrainian ministry said.
The agreement on grain between Russians and Ukrainians is eagerly awaited by the international community, while up to 25 million tonnes of grain have been blocked in Ukrainian ports for almost five months due to the Russian invasion which was launched on February 24.
