FILE - Smoke rises from the front lines in Ukraine with farmer fields in the foreground
(Picture: AP)Ukraine has begun restoring some of its long-disused river ports on the Danube to allow for grain exports amid Russia’s blockade of the Black Sea.
Putin’s war has left dozens of ships stranded in the Black Sea and more than 20 million tonnes of grain stuck in silos at Odesa.
River ports on the Danube were little used before the war, but Kyiv now hopes to expand them to avoid the blockade and export its wheat, reports the Guardian.
Alla Stoyanova, the head of the department of agricultural policy of Odesa region, told the paper officials were working to expand an important river port “alongside other river ports, to increase capacity”.
“As we speak, over 160 ships are awaiting in the Black Sea to enter the Sulina canal, but they can’t because the capacity of that canal is only 5-6 ships a day,” he said.
However, officials conceded that expanding the river ports were an emergency measure and that opening the Black Sea route is the only way to mitigate global hunger.
Talks are set to resume on Wednesday in Istanbul between UN officials and delegations from Ukraine, Russia, and Turkey in Istanbul to discuss ways to restart exports.
“We are working hard indeed but there is still a way to go," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters on Tuesday.
“Many people are talking about it. We prefer to try and do it."
Ukraine and Russia are major global wheat suppliers, and Russia is also a large fertiliser exporter, while Ukraine is a significant producer of corn and sunflower oil.
Under a proposed plan being discussed, Ukrainian vessels would guide grain ships in and out mined port waters while Russia would agree to a truce while shipments are moving.
Turkey - supported by the United Nations - would inspect ships to address Russian fears of weapons smuggling.
The Russian Interfax news agency quoted Pyotr Ilyichev, head of the international organisations department at the Russian foreign ministry, as saying that Russia wants to control and inspect vessels to rule out "arms smuggling".
He claimed that Russia is ready to facilitate the navigation of foreign commercial vessels to export Ukrainian grain.
Russia has continued to export grain since the war started but there is a lack of large vessels as many owners are afraid to send them to the region.
