LAST UPDATE: 19:58
Russian President Vladimir Putin told French and German leaders by telephone Saturday that Russia was willing to discuss ways to enable Ukraine to export grain from Black Sea ports, the Kremlin said.
Russia and Ukraine account for almost a third of the world ‘s wheat supplies, while Russia is also a major global exporter of fertilizers and Ukraine is a major exporter of corn and sunflower oil.
“For its part, Russia is ready to help find options for the smooth export of grain, including the export of Ukrainian grain from the Black Sea ports,” the Kremlin was quoted as saying by Reuters.
He also said he had informed French President Emanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Solz that Russia was ready to increase its exports of fertilizers and agricultural products if sanctions against it were lifted, a request he made in talks with Italian leaders. and Austria in recent days.
Ukraine and Western countries have accused Russia of using as a weapon the food crisis created by its invasion of Ukraine, which has pushed up the prices of cereals, sunflower oil, fuel and fertilizers.
Russia has blamed the situation on Western sanctions against it and the bombing of Ukrainian ports. The Kremlin said Putin had also said that Russia was ready to resume talks with Ukraine.
“Particular attention was paid to the state of negotiations that have been frozen due to Kiev. President Vladimir Putin confirmed the opening of the Russian side for the resumption of dialogue,” it said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also denounced the “dangerous nature” of Western arms deliveries to Ukraine and warned of further “destabilization” during a telephone conversation with his French counterpart Emanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
“The Russian president stressed the dangerous nature (of the fact) that Ukraine continues to be overwhelmed by Western weapons, warning of the dangers of further destabilizing the situation and worsening the humanitarian crisis,” the Kremlin said in a statement following a telephone conversation.
What Macron-Soltz asked for
An announcement from the Champs Elysees said that during the communication initiated by the French President and the German Chancellor, the Franco-German side stressed that any solution to the war crisis should be made after negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv. with respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. They also reiterated their demand for an immediate ceasefire and called on the Russian president to hold direct talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as soon as possible.
The leaders of France and Germany also demanded the release of the two and a half thousand Azofstal defenders who were being held captive by Russian forces.
President Macron and Chancellor Soltz have told President Putin that the blockade of Odessa should be lifted so that cereals can be exported from Ukraine via the Black Sea and a global food crisis can be averted.
According to the announcement of the mansion of the Champs Elysees, the Russian president promised to allow safe access of ships to the port of Odessa.
To this end, the French President and the German Chancellor called for speeding up the proceedings at the UN level.
Source: Capital
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