Ukraine, Russia Sign Deal to Export Grain Amid Global Food Crisis
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Ukraine and Russia signed separate agreements on Friday to resume Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea.
The deal, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey in Istanbul, is the first major agreement between Ukraine and Russia since the start of the invasion. The deal frees up millions of tons of grain and other food products stuck in Ukraine, previously the world’s fifth-largest wheat exporter and fourth-largest corn exporter. U.N. officials said shipments would begin in the next few weeks; prior to the war, major importers of Ukrainian grains included China, Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia, India, the E.U. and more.
International leaders praised the deal; U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres called it “a beacon of hope,” and Red Cross Director-General Robert Mardini said it was “nothing short of lifesaving for people across the world who are struggling to feed their families.” Global food insecurity was already rising before the war; without access to Ukrainian grain, many countries — particularly in the Middle East and Africa — faced higher food prices and shortages.
Coverage across the spectrum framed the deal positively. Internationally-focused outlets like The New York Times (Lean Left bias), Reuters (Center bias) and BBC News (Center bias) featured the story more prominently than other outlets did. While most coverage discussed a “food crisis,” Russian state-backed outlet RT (Lean Right bias) said there were “food crisis concerns.”
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Left
A deal between Ukraine and Russia aims to ease the global food crisis.Russia and Ukraine signed an agreement in Istanbul on Friday to free more than 20 million metric tons of grain stuck in blockaded Black Sea ports in Ukraine, a deal aimed at bringing down soaring grain prices and alleviating a mounting global hunger crisis.
The breakthrough comes after months of talks and was brokered with the help of the United Nations and Turkey. The agreement provides a method for exporting Ukrainian grain through Turkey, and it comes after the United Nations gave Russia assurances that it can export its grain...
From the Center
Ukraine, Russia sign separate agreements with Turkey, UN on grain passage through Black SeaUkraine and Russia have signed two separate UN-backed deals with Turkey to allow the export of millions of tonnes of grain from Ukraine's Black Sea ports blockaded by Russia.
The agreements envision the use of three Ukrainian ports - Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Yuzhne - to export grain under the supervision of Ukraine, the UN, and Turkey. The agreement doesn't envision a Russian presence in these ports, nor those it allows Russia to escort Ukrainian grain out of the country.
The agreement doesn't mention lifting Russian sanctions, something the Kremlin has asked for...
From the Right
Ukraine grain deal signed: Why it mattersUkraine, Russia, Turkey and the UN signed a much-anticipated deal on Friday that paves the way for the resumption of Ukrainian grain shipments from Black Sea ports.
What deal has been reached?
While not all details of the agreement have been revealed, shipments from Ukrainian ports will begin in full in a couple of weeks, according to the UN. The ports will reportedly not be fully demined and the Ukrainian Navy and Coast Guard captains will be allowed to escort ships avoiding mined waters. Officials from Russia and other countries...
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