Some countries, such as Lithuania and Estonia, are considering sending warships to the Black Sea to escort Ukrainian grain ships and break the Russian Navy’s blockade of Ukrainian ports.
in accordance with once In London, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis discussed this issue with his British counterpart Elisabeth Truss, and in addition to Lithuania, this “coalition of wills” could include some NATO member states and other countries very dependent on Ukrainian cereals, such as Egypt. “Time is running out. We are approaching a new harvest, and there is no other practical way to export grains, except through the port of Odessa on the Black Sea,” the Lithuanian minister said. The keeper, adding: “It is imperative that we show vulnerable countries that we are ready to take the necessary steps to feed the world.”
Although the matter had been discussed with Truss, statements from the British side were cautious. “There are currently no plans to send British warships to the Black Sea,” a government spokesman said.
The President of Estonia supports the idea and even claims its authorship. At Davos, where he is attending the World Economic Forum, Alar Karis said he had been discussing the issue with other countries for some time, but “not everyone was convinced it was a good idea” because “it could intensify the conflict.” war on the Black Sea. However, now there are more supporters of the initiative, Karis says. “Looks like it will work.”
If it does, this action could mean rising tensions between the West and Russia at a time when relations have deteriorated significantly due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The idea is to prevent world food crisis deteriorated due to the lack of markets for Russian and Ukrainian cereals, the two largest global producers, especially after India export prohibited own production to avoid shortages or rising prices in the domestic market.
The United States government announced last week that it was working with its European allies to create routes that would bring Ukrainian wheat and corn through the port of Odessa in the face of a Russian-imposed blockade of mines and ships. in the Black Sea. The Biden administration even raised the issue of using long-range missiles to hit Russian ships, which would be tantamount to declaring war on Russia.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine caused a rise in grain prices around the world, especially in developing countries. According to German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock, Ukrainian ports, mainly in Odessa, are currently awaiting shipment of 25 million tons.
Ukraine has tried to sell grain by land, but in this way it can only export a fifth of what it usually sends abroad. Sending them by train to Poland requires a change in the composition of goods at the border, since the European gauge is different from the Ukrainian one, and there are no large warehouse areas on the Polish side. Another hypothesis, the export of grain through Romania, which involves a complex transport operation, also turned out to be inconclusive. The agricultural sector accounts for 10% of Ukraine’s GDP, which was $12 billion in 2021.
The plan of the UK, Lithuania and other countries is to first clear the seas in the Odessa port area, and then establish a “protective corridor” for the passage of Ukrainian ships with grain.
Russia was accused of taking advantage of the war to rob Ukrainian grain and export them as their own, accusations the Kremlin has consistently denied.
