Ukrainian grain ships anchored outside of Istanbul Strait waiting for inspection "pose navigations risks" following Russia's suspension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Türkiye told UN Security Council.
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There were 97 loaded vessels and 15 inbound vessels registered for inspection around Istanbul as of Monday morning local time, Turkish Ambassador to the UN Feridun Sinirlioglu said at a Security Council meeting.
"The ships anchored outside of the Istanbul straits pose navigations risks. We are working with the UN on a movement plan for these vessels," said the envoy.
Sinirlioglu called the initiative a "success," stressing that the deal must continue.
Brokered by Türkiye and the UN, the initiative has so far moved more than 9.5 million metric tons of grain and food stuff and it brought the global food prices down, he said.
On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters that Russia's decision to suspend the grain deal was due to a threat to the humanitarian corridor, and that Moscow was not terminating the deal, but suspending its participation.
According to the Russian president, "Ukraine must guarantee that there will be no threats to civilian vessels and to Russian supply vessels."
Reviving the grain deal is impossible as long as the security corridor is used for terrorist attacks, and the agreement cannot be resurrected under the previous conditions, Russian State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said on his Telegram channel on Tuesday.
However, he continued that Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky "through his actions cancelled out all the agreements reached with the participation of Turkey and the UN, so the Kiev regime has exhibited its terrorist essence."
"Resuming the grain deal is impossible as long as the security corridor is used for terrorist attacks," Volodin wrote.
"The use of the security corridor for terrorist attacks against the ships of the Black Sea Fleet is unacceptable. There can be no grain deal under the previous conditions," the chairman of the State Duma emphasized. ■