Ukraine’s first grain ship might depart on Monday, Turkey says: ‘There are a couple of hitches, a couple of points being mentioned with the Russians’

The primary ship to export Ukrainian grain since an settlement was reached for the protected transit of vessels might depart as quickly as Monday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s spokesman Ibrahim Kalin stated.

“There are a couple of hitches, a couple of points being mentioned with the Russians,” Kalin stated in an interview with Kanal 7 TV channel on Sunday, including that the ships ought to begin departing “by Tuesday on the newest.”

Greater than per week after Russia and Ukraine reached a deal geared toward releasing thousands and thousands of tons of grain by three Black Sea ports, no ships have sailed.

Ukraine stated on Friday it’s near restarting shipments, though the timing was linked to receiving go-ahead from the United Nations, which together with Turkey was a signatory to the July 22 settlement. The UN has declined to specify a day.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited the Black Sea port of Chornomorsk on Friday, the place he watched grain being loaded onto a Turkish vessel.

Ukraine is likely one of the world’s greatest wheat, corn and vegetable-oil suppliers, and crop markets are watching carefully for concrete strikes towards unlocking Ukraine’s ports.

Whereas there’s has been incremental progress — Ukraine’s Sea Ports Authority earlier instructed corporations a check boat would sail quickly, and a bunch of insurers arrange a program to cowl cargoes of meals from Ukraine — merchants and exporters are nonetheless ready for details about how and when vessels will depart, and to the place.

Shipowners face a myriad of challenges, together with recruiting crews to function the ships as security issues stay. A Russian assault on Odesa’s sea port with cruise missiles hours after signing the deal additionally raised questions on its dedication.

Turkish protection minister Hulusi Akar met over the weekend with Ukraine’s protection and infrastructure chief to debate the newest scenario on the export restart, Turkey’s protection ministry stated on Twitter.