A stoppage as symbolic as it is incomprehensible to the international community. This Saturday, the Russian army is accused of having attacked the port of Odessa, in southeastern Ukraine, a very strategic port that overlooks the Black Sea with several missiles. Because it is a storage place for grain exports of Ukrainian agriculture.
“The port of Odessa, where grain is processed for shipment, was shelled. We shot down two missiles, and two more missiles hit the territory of the port, where, obviously, there is grain,” Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuri said. Ignat.
The day before, however, the two neighboring countries signed an unprecedented agreement to resume Ukraine’s grain exports amid the risk of global famines. It should allow to export between 20 and 25 million tons of cereals blocked in Ukraine. Since the beginning of the invasion, the prices of oils and cereals have skyrocketed, hitting the whole world, in particular the African continent.
“She will find a way not to apply it”
The resumption of these attacks by Vladimir Putin’s army, therefore, did not fail to make people react. The Russian president “spit in the face of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Turkish President Recep (Tayyip) Erdogan, who have made enormous efforts to reach this agreement,” the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said. Ukraine, Oleg Nikolenko.
President Volodymyr Zelensky then accused Moscow of systematically violating its commitments:
“It only proves one thing: no matter what Russia says and promises, it will find ways not to implement it.”
Antonio Guterres “unequivocally condemned” these attacks, stressing that “full implementation (of the agreement) by the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Turkey is imperative.”
For its part, Moscow has denied any involvement with Ankara. “The Russians told us that they had absolutely nothing to do with this attack and that they were investigating the matter very closely,” said Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, who said he was “concerned” about the attacks.
“We can fulfill our part of the agreement”
“Russia does not respect the agreement at all. For us, the question is to send the cereals to stop this artificial famine that Vladimir Putin organized”, stressed Oleksiy Goncharenko, a deputy from the Odessa district on the BFMTV antenna this Saturday.
If these attacks seriously weaken the agreement between the two neighboring countries on cereals, the deputy assured that Ukraine will respect the terms of the pact signed under the aegis of Turkey.
“Fortunately, there is not much destruction in the port and we can fulfill our part of the agreement and receive the ships to organize the export of grains,” he said.
Because the signed agreement only refers to grain exports and does not provide for a ceasefire. Both sides only plan safe corridors in the Black Sea to safely transport goods.
“It is not necessarily impossible to enforce the agreement even if the Russians attack the city of Odessa,” explained this Saturday Etienne de Poncins, French ambassador to Ukraine, guest of BFMTV. “The Ukrainians say they are ready to implement the agreement.”
Source: BFM TV
