Ukraine rejected Russia's assurances about grain shipments, following statements by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that his country is ready to end this crisis, and this comes amid European accusations that Moscow is using food as a weapon.

"Military equipment is required to protect the coastal strip, (plus) a naval mission to patrol the Black Sea export routes. Russia cannot be allowed to take advantage of grain routes to attack southern Ukraine," Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko wrote on Twitter.

Lavrov had said that Russia would not take advantage of the situation to its advantage if Kyiv allowed the departure of grain shipments through the Black Sea, and expressed his country's readiness to ensure the security of ships departing from Ukrainian ports, and Russia's readiness to do so with Turkey.

Kyiv has described these statements as "hollow talk".


Efforts and goals

In a press conference held today, Wednesday, with his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, at the Turkish presidential complex in the capital, Ankara, Lavrov noted that if the Ukrainian side is ready to remove mines, "we are also ready to open a passage in the Black Sea (for the export of grain)."

He stressed that Russia attaches great importance to the efforts of its Turkish friends to open a passage in the Black Sea, noting that public opinion knows well the goals of Russian military operations, and that his country will achieve these goals.

For his part, Turkish Foreign Minister Cavusoglu said the UN plan to establish a sea corridor for Ukrainian grain exports overseen by Ankara was "reasonable", but required further talks with Moscow and Kiev to ensure the safety of the ships.

The Russian attack on Ukraine last February halted Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea, raising the specter of a global food crisis.

The United Nations wants the two sides, as well as their neighbor on the Black Sea maritime border, NATO member Turkey, to agree on a corridor.


Obstacles and fears

But there are significant obstacles standing in the way of completing the agreement, including persuading Russia to ease its blockade of Ukrainian ports, persuading Kyiv to remove the mines it has planted, and then convincing shipping and insurance companies that using the passage is safe.

The time is narrowing and time is running out, with there is not enough storage space for the next harvest in Ukraine, starting at the end of next July.

Together, Russia and Ukraine source about a third of the world's wheat supply, and their importance has increased after the ban on Indian exports, as well as the impact of bad weather on crops in North America and Western Europe.

The war, along with Western sanctions against Russia, drove up the prices of grain, cooking oils, fertilizer, and energy.

This in turn raises fears of a food crisis in poor countries, some of which depend on Russia and Ukraine for more than half of their wheat imports.

The Russian war on Ukraine had many repercussions (Reuters)

weapon of war

In this context, European Council President Charles Michel said - in a speech before the European Parliament in the French city of Strasbourg - that the Kremlin is using food as a weapon of war.

In turn, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed that about 300 million people are vulnerable to food insecurity around the world this year.

During a speech to the European Parliament, von der Leyen stressed that it was being verified that the grain stuck in Ukraine would reach the world.

For his part, Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said that the food crisis may become global unless action is taken immediately, and that it threatens to destabilize fragile countries and new waves of migrants due to food security in the region. Mayo stressed that Italy will push in different directions to solve the crisis.

He added that the coming weeks will be crucial to resolving the food security crisis, stressing that he is waiting for signals from Russia to allow the grain to be transported.

Russia terms

This comes as the Kremlin has said that Western sanctions imposed on Moscow must be lifted in order for the Russian grain to be delivered to international markets.

"President (Vladimir) Putin said that in order to deliver quantities of Russian grain to international markets, direct and indirect sanctions against Russia must be lifted," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call.

He added that the sanctions imposed by the West in response to the Russian war on Ukraine affect the security of shipping, payments and access to European ports.

He added, "There are no actual discussions" underway about lifting the sanctions.