Russia has not announced its green light and the Black Sea Grain Initiative is now de facto on hold (Ritzau Scanpix/AFP/Archives/Bo Amstrup)
Uncertainty remains on Monday about the future of the Black Sea grain agreement deemed crucial for world food, a few hours before it expires at midnight (9:00 p.m. GMT) in Istanbul.
On the ground in Ukraine, intense fighting continues on the front, where the Ukrainian counter-offensive is being met by Russian counter-attacks in some areas, but Kiev forces are slowly advancing around the city of Bakhmout and in the South.
Silence and discretion surrounded all weekend the last-ditch maneuvers led by Turkey and the UN to convince Moscow to extend the cereals agreement signed in July 2022 on the Bosphorus.
It has over the past year ensured the safe passage of cargo ships to and from Ukrainian ports despite the war, transporting a total of almost 33 million tonnes of grain destined for world markets.
But Russia has not announced its green light and the Black Sea Grain Initiative is now de facto at a standstill.
“Since June 27, no request for passage has been approved by all parties,” according to a statement from the Joint Coordination Center (JCC), which oversees the agreement in Istanbul.
The last cargo validated by the inspectors of the four signatories, the Turkish bulk carrier TQ Samsun, left the Ukrainian port of Odessa on Sunday and is heading for Istanbul, according to the Marine traffic site.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul, July 7, 2023 (AFP/Archives/OZAN KOSE)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shows his confidence: he assured Friday that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin “agreed” with him on the extension of the agreement.
But the Kremlin spokesman immediately replied that no such statement had been made.
Mr Putin has repeatedly denounced the obstacles to the export of Russian food products and fertilizers, which was to accompany that of Ukrainian products.
He also ruled on Saturday that “the main objective of the agreement, the delivery of cereals to countries in need, particularly on the African continent, has not been achieved”.
According to official JCC data, China and Turkey are the top recipients of shipments, along with developed economies.
But thanks to the agreement, the World Food Program (WFP) was able to relieve a dozen countries in critical situation such as Afghanistan, Sudan or Yemen.
Hence the involvement of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who continued many discussions, according to his spokesman.
In particular, he met at the end of the week with officials from the European Union, whose sanctions are hampering the activities of the main Russian agricultural bank. Nothing has filtered from these interviews.
– Intense fights –
On the ground, Ukraine reported intense fighting on the eastern front with Russian forces on Sunday, and Vladimir Putin said for his part, in an interview with the Rossia-1 television channel broadcast on Sunday, that the counter- Ukrainian offensive launched in June made no progress.
Ukrainian artillerymen on the front line near the town of Bakhmout in eastern Ukraine (AFP/Archives/Anatolii Stepanov)
The Ukrainian general staff indicated that its army was continuing its offensive in the south-east, where it said on Friday that it had advanced another nearly two kilometers towards the occupied city of Melitopol, and where it is seeking to advance towards the Sea of Azov to cut the Russian lines and isolate Crimea.
In the east, further north, Deputy Defense Minister Ganna Malyar acknowledged that the situation had “intensified” due to the efforts of Russian forces to counterattack in several areas, where the Ukrainian army finds itself in a “defensive” position.
But she argued that Ukrainian forces were “gradually advancing” near Bakhmout, a small town that fell under Russian control in May after months of deadly clashes.
Each meter gained is “already a great victory”, a commander of the artillery battalion of the 22nd Ukrainian mechanized brigade told AFP.
“People should understand the price we are paying. The enemies are many. We need time to grind them down,” he said.
Led since June with the support of heavy weapons delivered by the West, the Ukrainian counter-offensive is progressing slowly against Russian troops who have time to establish solid defenses, including formidable minefields, and still have significant firepower to pound the Ukrainian forces.
© 2023 AFP
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