The Ukrainian government has assured Thursday that it has «not taken on new obligations» to achieve the reactivation of the agreement for grain exports from its ports, a day after Russia announced its return to the pact following a series of «guarantees» from Kiev.
«Our state has not taken on any new obligations beyond those already existing in the grain agreement,» Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko said in a message posted on his account on the social network Facebook.
Thus, he stressed that «Ukraine has not used and does not plan to use the grain corridor for military purposes» and added that Kiev «strictly complies with the clauses of the agreement», before rejecting Moscow’s claims about «guarantees» that the route «will not be used for military purposes».
Nikolenko recalled that «the parties promised to ensure a safe and reliable environment for the operation of the grain corridor» and reiterated that «Ukraine has never endangered the route». On the other hand, he praised that Moscow’s return took place «thanks to the active diplomacy of UN Secretary General António Guterres and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan».
«In coordination with Ukraine, they found words that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin understood. It was a posture of force, not a concession. Russia’s return to the fulfillment of its obligations to the grain initiative vividly illustrates an effective formula. A firm position and decisive action yield results,» he concluded.
Earlier on Thursday, a total of six ships loaded with grain sailed from Ukrainian ports, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar announced as part of Ankara’s mediation efforts.
Hours after the reactivation of the pact was announced on Wednesday, Putin warned that he will again order Russia’s exit from the pact if Ukraine fails to fulfill its commitments, particularly on security.
The United Nations and Turkey acted as mediators prior to the signing of the pact in July and also during the implementation of the commitments made. For his part, Erdogan has in recent hours launched a new round of contacts with the parties to try to reach an agreement on an extension of this measure.
