The Russian Ministry of Defense, after a three day hiatus and an alleged attack on a Ukrainian grain barge, has rejoined the Black Sea Corridor Agreement after receiving “sufficient guarantees”.
Turkish President Erdogan has directly negotiated with Russian Defense Minister Shoigu, resulting in the agreement. It is not clear what the two men agreed on, but part of Moscow’s demands were assurances that the grain corridor would not be used by Ukrainian military assets, which Russia accused Ukraine of doing in order to carry out the Saturday attack on the Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol.
On July 22, representatives of Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the UN signed a package of two documents in Istanbul. The first memorandum deals with the UN commitment to remove restrictions on the export of Russian fertilizers and agricultural products to world markets. The second defines the algorithm for the export of Ukrainian grain from the ports on the Black Sea. This package deal aims to ensure global food security. The first of the more than 300 voyages began on August 1st.
