The United Nations, Türkiye and Ukraine pressed ahead to implement the Black Sea grain deal and agreed on a transit plan for Monday for vessels to move forward, despite Russia's withdrawal from the pact that has allowed the export of Ukrainian agricultural products to world markets.
Russia, which invaded Ukraine on Feb 24, on Saturday halted its role in the Black Sea deal for an "indefinite term," cutting shipments from one of the world's top grain exporters because it said it could not "guarantee the safety of civilian ships" traveling under the pact after an attack on its Black Sea Fleet.
The move has sparked an outcry from Ukraine, NATO, the European Union and the United States, while the United Nations and Türkiye, the two main brokers of the July deal, scrambled on Sunday and Monday to save it.
Still, the resumption of food exports from Ukrainian ports on Monday suggested that at least one dire scenario had been averted for now.
Türkiye remained committed and said it was determined to continue its efforts for the grain deal despite Russian hesitancy.
"Even if Russia behaves hesitantly because it didn't receive the same benefits, we will decisively continue our efforts to serve humanity," Erdoğan told an event in Istanbul.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was deeply concerned about Russia's move and delayed a foreign trip to try and revive the agreement that was intended to ease a global food crisis, his spokesperson said.
Following Russia's move, Chicago wheat futures jumped more than 5% on Monday as both Russia and Ukraine are among the world's largest wheat exporters, analysts said.
More than 9.5 million metric tons of corn, wheat, sunflower products, barley, rapeseed and soy have been exported since July. Under the deal, a Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) – made up of U.N., Turkish, Russian and Ukrainian officials – agrees on the movement of ships and inspects the vessels.
"Civilian cargo ships can never be a military target or held hostage. The food must flow," tweeted Amir Abdullah, the U.N. official who coordinates the program.
The U.N. said in a statement that it had agreed with Ukraine and Türkiye on a movement plan for 16 vessels on Monday – 12 outbound and four inbound.
Ukraine on Monday confirmed that 12 ships had set sail. A record volume of 354,500 tons of grain they carried was the most in a day since the program began, suggesting a backlog was being cleared after exports were interrupted on Sunday.
Erdoğan said Monday "our effort to deliver this wheat to countries facing the threat of starvation is evident."
"With the joint mechanism that we established in Istanbul, we contributed to the relief of a global food crisis," he noted.
The U.N. said the Russian officials at the JCC had been told about the plan for shipments on Monday, along with the intention to inspect 40 outbound vessels on Monday. It noted that "all participants coordinate with their respective military and other relevant authorities to ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels" under the deal.
During Sunday's session among the grain deal delegations, Russian officials said Moscow will continue the dialogue with the U.N. and the Turkish delegation on pressing issues, the U.N. said in its statement.
Russia said on Monday it would be risky for Ukraine to continue exporting.
"In conditions when Russia is talking about the impossibility of guaranteeing the safety of shipping in these areas, such a deal is hardly feasible, and it takes on a different character – much more risky, dangerous and unguaranteed," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Peskov said Russian contacts with Türkiye and the United Nations were continuing. He declined to comment when asked what needed to happen, from Russia's point of view, for the deal to be resumed.
Defense Minister Hulusi Akar was in contact with his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts to try and salvage the agreement and had asked the parties to avoid any provocation, the Defense Ministry said.
Akar on Monday said the suspension of the deal would not benefit any parties involved and would lead to a further build-up at ports.
He said he would hold a phone call later on Monday with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu and that he was also continuing talks with the Ukrainian defense minister.
"Speaking with them, we will make efforts to ensure the continuation of this initiative," a statement by the ministry quoted Akar as saying in a video conference with Turkish military chiefs.
NATO and the EU have urged Russia to reconsider its decision. U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday called Russia's move "purely outrageous" and said it would increase starvation. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused Moscow of weaponizing food.
On Sunday, Russia's ambassador to Washington responded to the U.S., saying the U.S. response was "outrageous" and made false assertions about Moscow's move.
The Russian Defense Ministry said Ukraine attacked the Black Sea Fleet near Sevastopol with 16 drones early Saturday and that British navy "specialists" had helped coordinate what it called a terrorist attack.
Britain denied the claim. Russia said it repelled the attack but that the ships targeted were involved in ensuring the grain corridor out of Ukraine's Black Sea ports.
Ukraine has neither confirmed nor denied it was behind the attack. The Ukrainian military suggested that Russians themselves may have been responsible for the explosions.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Moscow used the explosions 220 kilometers (137 miles) away from the grain corridor as a "false pretext" for a long-intended move.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's chief of staff accused Russia on Saturday of inventing attacks on its own facilities.
Ukraine often accuses Russia of using the Black Sea Fleet to fire cruise missiles at Ukrainian civilian targets, a charge supported by some military analysts who argue that makes the fleet a legitimate military target.
Russia's invasion has recently been dominated by a Ukrainian counteroffensive and Russian drone and missile attacks that have destroyed more than 30% of Ukraine's generating capacity and hit populated areas. Each side has accused the other of being prepared to detonate radioactive bombs.
Russia asked the U.N. Security Council to meet on Monday to discuss the Sevastopol attack, Deputy U.N. Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy wrote on Twitter.
The grain deal had restarted shipments from Ukraine, allowing sales on world markets, targeting the prewar level of 5 million metric tons exported from Ukraine each month.
But ahead of its Nov. 19 expiry, Russia had said that there were serious problems with it and Ukraine complained that Moscow had blocked almost 200 ships from picking up grain cargoes.
The deal ensured safe passage in and out of Odessa and two other Ukrainian ports.
Zelenskyy accused Russia of wanting to escalate the crisis, saying 218 ships were blocked and waiting to either carry food or enter Ukrainian ports.
A vessel carrying 30,000 tons of wheat chartered by the U.N. World Food Programme and intended for emergency response in the Horn of Africa was among those near the three Ukrainian ports, according to the U.N.
"We are ready to release this ship into the sea," he said, but like other ships with agricultural products, it was being forced to wait, "because Russia is blackmailing the world with hunger," he said.
