A Turkish freighter is the first foreign ship to leave the port of Mariupol in a long time. Before that, Turkey and Russia are holding intensive talks on the safety of merchant ships and grain exports. It is currently unclear whether the ship actually loaded grain.
A Turkish freighter has left the Ukrainian port of Mariupol after Turkish-Russian talks in Moscow over grain stocks blocked in Ukraine. “Only a few hours after the long meeting, the Turkish freighter (‘Azov Concord’), which had been waiting for days, left the Ukrainian port,” the Turkish Defense Ministry said. It is “the first foreign ship to leave the Ukrainian port of Mariupol” since it was taken by Russian troops in May.
The talks in Moscow had led to a “first concrete result,” the Turkish ministry said. Whether the freighter was loading grain was not specifically mentioned.
The Russian Defense Ministry had previously announced in Moscow that both sides had discussed issues related to the safety of merchant ships and the export of grain through Ukrainian ports. The ministry said in Moscow that the safety of shipping in the Black Sea had also been discussed.
Millions of tons of wheat are stuck in Ukrainian ports that are under Russian control or blocked by Russian troops. Internationally, it is feared that blocking grain exports could trigger a global hunger crisis. An export is also dangerous because of the sea mines in the waters.
Turkey traditionally maintains good relations with both Ukraine and Russia and has been trying to mediate between the conflicting parties since the beginning of the war.
