Ukraine and Russia sign deal wey go allow grain export resume by sea as war continue
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Ukraine and Russia don sign “mirror” deals wey go allow Kyiv to resume exports of grain through di Black Sea.
Di agreement go allow Ukraine to export millions of tonnes of grain wey currently dey trapped by di war.
Di world shortage of Ukrainian grain since Russian invasion on 24 February don leave millions at risk of hunger.
However, Kyiv refuse to sign a direct deal wit Moscow and warn say “provocations” go dey met wit “immediate military response”.
Both sides attend di signing ceremony for Istanbul but dem no sit for di same table. Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu sign Moscow deal first, den Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov sign Kyiv identical agreement.
Di deal wey take two months to reach go last for 120 days wit coordination and monitoring centre wey Istanbul go establish. Na UN, Turkish, Russian and Ukrainian officials go be di staff. Dem fit renew am if di two kontris agree.
Di blockade of Ukraine grain don cause a global food crisis and product wey dem dey use wheat make including bread and pasta don become expensive, and cooking oils and fertiliser don also increase in price.
Di US call on Russia to act quickly and White House tok-tok pesin John Kirby say e dey necessary “to prevent di world’s most vulnerable from sliding into deeper insecurity and malnutrition”.
Oga Shoigu tell a news conference earlier say di deal fit allow “di solutions to start di process in di coming days”.
“I dey tok not only about beginning di export of agricultural products from Ukrainian ports but clearly also work in di direction on di export of agricultural products and fertilisers from Russian ports,” e add.
According to diplomats, under dis na di terms of di deal:
- Russia no go target ports while shipments dey in transit
- Ukrainian vessels no go guide cargo ships through waters wey don dey mined
- Turkey - supported by di United Nations - go inspect ships, to allay Russian fears of weapons smuggling
- Russian exports of grain and fertiliser via di Black Sea go dey facilitated.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres tell di BBC's Orla Guerin say e be like say na di most important tin wey im don do in his time as di head of di international joinbodi.
"Today, beacon dey on di Black Sea," e tell di audience wey gada for Istanbul. "A beacon of hope."
Just di prospect of unblocking more dan 20 million tonnes of Ukrainian grain lead to a 2% drop in wheat prices on Friday.
For im Friday night address, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky confirm say di kontri get about $10bn (£8.3bh) worth of grain to sell.
However, e also warn say Moscow "fit engage in provocations, attempt to discredit di Ukrainian and international efforts. But we trust di United Nations", e say e dey up to di UN to guarantee di deal.
But Oga Guterres admit to di BBC say di UN no get means to punish Russia if dem breach di deal - but add say e go be" absolutely unacceptable scandal and di whole international community go react in a very strong way".
Oga Shoigu bin assure reporters afta signing di deal say Russia don "take on di obligations" under "not take advantage of di fact say di ports go dey cleared and opened".
Russia don always deny blocking Ukraine's ports - dem blame Ukraine for laying mines at sea and Western sanctions for slowing Russia's own exports.
For one piece aimed at newspapers for Africa, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov blame di West and Ukraine for di "absolutely groundless" allegations.
E praise di "balanced position of di Africans regarding wetin dey happun for Ukraine and around dem”.
Ukraine, however, say di Russian navy prevent dem from shipping grain and oda exports and accuses Russian occupation forces of stealing grain from Ukrainian farms.
Di grain export deal go also come as a big relief to di Horn of Africa, di BBC's Anne Soy tok from Nairobi, Kenya. Di region dey currently face serious food shortages caused by drought, and worsen by di Covid-19 pandemic, a rare locust invasion and di war for Ukraine.
Samantha Power, di US development agency's administrator, tok say di deal na "extremely important piece of a puzzle" in solving di region's crisis.
Meanwhile, Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan – wey play crucial role in negotiations - say he hope say di deal fit be di first steps towards bringing di war to an end.
"This joint step we dey take wit Ukraine and Russia go hopefully revive di path to peace," e tok.
Oga Guterres no dey too positive, saying: "At di present moment, I no see conditions for a peace process.”
Analysis by Paul Adams
Diplomatic correspondent
Antonio Guterres say e neva happun before to get two parties wey engage in bloody conflict to agree to dis kind deal.
President Erdogan predict say dis fit set di scene for steps to end di war altogether
But despite today's hopeful signs, a wider agreement be like possibility wey dey far. In recent days, Russia don indicate say dem fit expand dia war aims, while for Kyiv tok dey about when and where Ukraine fit launch some kind of counter-offensive.
Di arrival of sophisticated Western equipment don give Ukraine a renewed sense of optimism. Yesterday, di head of di UK's Secret Intelligence Service MI6, Richard Moore, predict say Russia's campaign go soon run out of steam, and e go give Ukraine di opportunity to strike back. If wider peace process go dey, afta di deal wey di two kontri strike for Istanbul, e be like say na only President Erdogan dey tok about am.
