[Global Times Comprehensive Report] On the afternoon of the 22nd local time (the evening of the 22nd Beijing time), representatives of Istanbul, Turkey, Russia and Ukraine signed agreements with officials of the United Nations and Turkey respectively, paving the way for the solution of Russian-Ukrainian grain shipments through Black Sea ports.
The two "tripartite agreements" are different from the "quadway agreement" announced by Turkey the day before, but if implemented smoothly, it will greatly alleviate the current food shortage problem faced by many countries around the world.
"There is a beacon of hope in the Black Sea," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said after the document was signed.
Almost all international media believe that this is the first major agreement between Russia and Ukraine since the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
The agreement is mainly brokered by Turkey and the United Nations, without the participation of Western countries such as the United States and the European Union.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said in response to relevant questions on the 22nd that China welcomes this.
It is hoped that relevant parties will maintain the momentum of dialogue and negotiation, and accumulate conditions for an early end to the conflict and an early realization of peace.
Analysts believe that although the signing of the agreement has experienced ups and downs, how to ensure the smooth implementation of the agreement faces a bigger problem than signing the agreement.
At the last moment, Wu Fang changed his mind?
The signing of this agreement is not easy, and the relevant negotiation work led by Turkey and the United Nations has been going on for more than a month.
On July 21, when the Turkish presidency announced that the four parties would sign the agreement the next day, neither Russia nor Ukraine responded, and there was a lot of media speculation.
The BBC reported that Ukraine was cautious about the deal.
Oleksi Honcharenko, a Ukrainian MP close to the talks, told the BBC: "We don't trust the Russians at all. So let's wait until tomorrow to make a final decision, [to see] whether there will be resistance from the Russian side and finally A moment of change."
"Any expected agreement may collapse at the last minute." The New York Times said on the 21st that even if the agreement is reached, Russia and Ukraine, which are at war, may encounter major obstacles to the implementation of the agreement.
"The situation is still a bit fluid, so I can't really say anything," said Haque, the deputy spokesman for the UN secretary-general.
On the afternoon of the 22nd, the Russian side took the lead in announcing that Russian Defense Minister Shoigu has led a delegation to Istanbul and will sign a document on lifting Russia's grain export restrictions and assisting in the export of grain from Ukraine.
Later, the Ukrainian side also announced that a delegation led by Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Kubrakov had arrived in Istanbul to start negotiations on grain exports.
Only then did the outside world breathe a sigh of relief.
But after that, Podoljak, assistant to the director of the Ukrainian Presidential Office, tweeted that Ukraine "will only sign food export agreements with Turkey and the United Nations, and assume obligations for this, but will not sign any documents with Russia." A separate "Mirror Agreement" will be signed.
He also said that Russian ships will not be allowed to escort grain ships and that there will be no Russian representatives in Ukrainian ports.
"In the event of a provocation, we will immediately respond militarily."
How to do it is difficult
According to reports, according to documents signed by Russia and Ukraine with the United Nations and Turkey, three Ukrainian ports - Odessa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny - were included in the "Black Sea Corridor" export agreement for Russian-Ukrainian agricultural products. Control remains on the Ukrainian side.
No ships other than the relevant ships are allowed to enter these ports.
The agreement stipulates that Russia and Ukraine will allow the two countries to export food, fertilizers and other agricultural products to the international market through the Black Sea, ensuring that they do not open fire on transport ships.
The two sides will carry out joint inspections of ships at the port to avoid the transport of arms during the process.
Turkey is responsible for ensuring the safety of ships in the Black Sea and will set up a coordination center in Istanbul, where representatives of the four parties, including UN officials, will jointly monitor the exports of Russian and Ukrainian agricultural products.
Both Russia and Ukraine are major grain exporters in the world. Wheat, corn and other agricultural products have been exported to Africa in large quantities for a long time. It is currently at the peak of grain harvesting. Ensuring the smooth flow of grain routes in the Black Sea will be an important factor affecting global food security in the second half of the year.
According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Agriculture, Ukrainian grain exports are highly dependent on shipping. Before the conflict broke out, nearly 90% of the grain was exported through the Black Sea. At present, nearly 20 million tons of grain have been accumulated in the ports of Odessa. The problem is expected to be resolved after the agreement is implemented, effectively alleviating the food shortage in some African countries.
"The agreement will allow Russia and Ukraine to enter the world market for food and fertilizer products. This is not only an agreement between the two countries, but also an agreement that benefits the whole world," said Haque, deputy spokesman for the UN Secretary-General.
The New York Times said on the 22nd that the implementation of the agreement is facing great difficulties.
Until then, Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of being responsible for hampering grain exports.
The Russian side accused Ukraine of deploying a large number of mines in the Black Sea port, while the Ukrainian side said that Russia had imposed a blockade on the port.
The report, citing unnamed sources, said Guterres had received assurances from the Ukrainian government that they would remove the few mines in the Black Sea that were blocking grain ships.
Another important issue in the implementation of the agreement is that Russia is concerned that the ships will be transported by the Ukrainian side when they return.
To address this concern, Turkish officials will be tasked with inspecting ships with the support of the United Nations.
US spoilers, need to beware
U.S. State Department spokesman Price said on the 21st that Washington welcomes the "principle agreement" to allow safe transportation of Ukrainian food, but the focus is "to hold Russia accountable for implementing the agreement and getting Ukrainian food to the world."
Agence France-Presse said European officials expressed optimism about the agreement, but expressed concern about its implementation.
Officials said Russia was "unlikely to implement the agreement without any problems."
"In theory, this transaction has many benefits for each party." The BBC analysis said that for Ukraine, this is the first opportunity to export goods from the Black Sea port in nearly five months.
For Russia, the arrangements are aimed at easing its own export difficulties and dispelling criticism of its "use of food as a weapon".
For the United Nations, this is an opportunity to tackle global hunger.
"But there are a lot of things that could go wrong." The article said that Ukraine is concerned that Russia may use the safe passage in the waters near Odessa for future military operations.
And for shipping companies, the corridor is fraught with risk.
"An explosion at sea could derail the entire agreement."
The Russian "Izvestia" quoted Turkish political scientist Gusartan's analysis on the 22nd as saying that this agreement is an important step towards peace in the region.
The food deal will prevent provocations from outside countries such as the United States.
Turkish political scientist Mokhas said it was important for Russia not to let Western countries such as the United States and Britain intervene and send their warships to the Black Sea, as this could lead to another crisis.
[Global Times correspondent in Turkey Shen Jun, Global Times correspondent Liu Yupeng]