Discussions among Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations have not yet produced a formal agreement to secure food supplies while allowing grain exports. Yet signs of progress are visible. Russia has opened a corridor for Ukrainian grain and is ready to assure that Ukrainian ports will not be mined in exchange for demining efforts along coastlines and port entrances. Kyiv has previously mined its waters to deter a Russian naval advance, a step that has fostered distrust toward Moscow.
“A mechanism to overcome these obstacles and cooperate with the UN could now be within reach”, said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu after talks with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Ankara. He indicated that a workable deal would satisfy both sides and would enable safe passage for Ukrainian cargo ships through the Black Sea, a point Lavrov did not oppose.
“If the sea lanes remain mined, the wheat and grain corridors cannot be formed, and the world already faces a food crisis”, Çavuşoğlu warned. He noted that Latin America has expressed deep concern and advocated lifting restrictions on Ukrainian wheat while recognizing Ukraine’s right to cultivate and export flour and grain. He also suggested that Western sanctions on Russia relating to these products should be reconsidered.
blame the west
Lavrov addressed the broader context, arguing that the food crisis is not caused solely by the current conflict but also by Western limits on the export of Russian goods. He accused Ukraine of maintaining a blockade on its own grain and wheat stocks, linking the situation to Moscow’s naval actions since the invasion began in February.
“Russia has fulfilled its part by opening routes for Ukrainian ships on a regular basis”, Lavrov asserted, stressing that Moscow would continue to work with Turkish partners to ensure safe passage for Ukrainian cargo. He also implied that Kyiv has not shown a willingness to resolve the blockage, suggesting that responsibility lies with Ukrainian leadership.
Turkey has assumed a mediating role from the outset, with the United Nations joining efforts to establish a grain corridor that would allow Ukraine to resume wheat exports halted by the Russian naval blockade. The world’s vulnerability to a global food crisis if grain shipments cannot resume underscores the stakes involved—an assessment echoed by UN briefings and security discussions.
Çavuşoğlu praised Turkish diplomacy for steering Ukrainian ships away from hostile narratives and noted that Western media sometimes mischaracterizes the situation by portraying crews as hostages. Lavrov clarified that he did not meet Ukrainian officials during his visit to Turkey.
conflict in Syria
The ministers also offered remarks on the Syrian conflict and the potential for a future Turkish operation in northern Syria against the Kurdish militia known as the PKK, which has links to the YPG. Turkey has long pursued measures to neutralize threats near its southern border, a move that would require Russian consent given Moscow’s military presence in the region. Several NATO allies and the United States have expressed reservations about a new Turkish campaign in Syria.
Lavrov stressed that there is sympathy for Turkish security concerns while noting that the United States has supported actions against what it labels terrorist organizations. He added that ongoing cooperation on this matter would continue even as tensions persist.
During the press conference, a journalist’s interruption underscored the fragility of open dialogue. Lavrov and Çavuşoğlu acknowledged the value of continued discussion in a setting where media voices press for swift, dramatic outcomes.
Asked whether Russia had seized Ukrainian grain beyond what has been publicly stated, Lavrov responded with a firm denial. He reiterated that Russia’s objective remains the removal of what Moscow calls a neo-Nazi regime, arguing that it has not impeded Ukrainian wheat from leaving ports.