EU Foreign Ministers To Discuss Stalled Ukrainian Grain Exports
More than 20 million tons of grain is said to be trapped in silos in Ukraine since Russia invaded the country and blockaded its ports.
European Union foreign ministers are scheduled to discuss ways to free millions of tons of grain stuck in Ukraine due to a blockade of its Black Sea ports by Russian forces.
The foreign ministers are due to meet on June 20 in Luxembourg to discuss the matter, which has aroused concerns about supply shortfalls, especially in Africa and the Middle East.
The EU supports efforts by the United Nations to broker a deal to resume exports from Ukraine, one of the world's top wheat suppliers.
Its grain shipments have stalled, leaving more than 20 million tons of grain trapped in silos since Russia invaded the country and blockaded its ports.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed Western accusations that Moscow is responsible for a sharp rise in global grain prices due to its naval blockade.
He claimed last week that Russia was ready to guarantee the transit of ships exporting Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea and that Ukraine had alternative land routes, something Western experts say is not feasible.
Moscow has previously demanded that economic sanctions on it be lifted in exchange for allowing grain exports.
International grain prices have soared amid the standoff, and key importers in the Middle East and Africa are facing supply shortfalls.
Turkey has said it would host a meeting with the United Nations, Russia, and Ukraine to organize safe corridors for grain exports, but there has been no comment from Moscow
Ankara says it is ready to take up a role within an "observation mechanism" based in Istanbul if there is a deal.
Romanian Port Overwhelmed As Grain Ships Reroute Around War Zone
1/9Ships off Romania's Black Sea coast wait on June 8 to enter the Sulina Canal, a waterway less than 5 kilometers from Romania's border with Ukraine.
A canal dock on Romania's Black Sea coast is struggling under a massive backlog of ships carrying vital food supplies out of Europe. The vessels cannot access Ukrainian ports due to Russia's war-ready naval presence in the Black Sea.
2/9The Sulina Canal where it enters the Black Sea
According to a June 17 AFP report, nearly 100 boats are currently queueing to enter the canal as nearby Ukrainian ports remain blocked due to the presence of Russian naval vessels on a war footing in the Black Sea.
A canal dock on Romania's Black Sea coast is struggling under a massive backlog of ships carrying vital food supplies out of Europe. The vessels cannot access Ukrainian ports due to Russia's war-ready naval presence in the Black Sea.
3/9A ship moored in the Sulina Canal on June 7
The massive backlog on this Romanian canal has resulted in calls to speed up the processing of ships, especially those carrying essential food grains. Exporters want longer hours for port operations, higher speed limits on the canal, and the allowance for ships to navigate the waterway at night.
A canal dock on Romania's Black Sea coast is struggling under a massive backlog of ships carrying vital food supplies out of Europe. The vessels cannot access Ukrainian ports due to Russia's war-ready naval presence in the Black Sea.
4/9Port cranes at Tulcea, near where the Sulina Canal meets the Danube River
The limited capabilities of Romanian ports has resulted in a huge buildup of both ships, trucks, and trains, which queue on Ukraine's borders to export grain. Ukraine's railway lines are wider than most of the rest of Europe, resulting in sluggish transport speeds from the country's western border.
A canal dock on Romania's Black Sea coast is struggling under a massive backlog of ships carrying vital food supplies out of Europe. The vessels cannot access Ukrainian ports due to Russia's war-ready naval presence in the Black Sea.
5/9Young locals relax at a port on the Sulina Canal.
International observers warn that a food crisis is looming as a result of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, especially in some African countries that rely mostly on shipments from Russia and Ukraine for their grain supply. The UN has warned of a "hurricane of hunger" if grain transport out of Europe cannot be sped up.
A canal dock on Romania's Black Sea coast is struggling under a massive backlog of ships carrying vital food supplies out of Europe. The vessels cannot access Ukrainian ports due to Russia's war-ready naval presence in the Black Sea.
6/9A cargo ship seen from a Romanian pilot vessel
A pilot boat captain told AFP that since war broke out their workload navigating ships into the Sulina Canal "has increased a lot," adding, "we are hard at work from sunrise to sunset." A reported 400 boats passed through the Sulina Canal, last month, triple the traffic of May 2021.
A canal dock on Romania's Black Sea coast is struggling under a massive backlog of ships carrying vital food supplies out of Europe. The vessels cannot access Ukrainian ports due to Russia's war-ready naval presence in the Black Sea.
7/9A small vessel on the Sulina Canal
Despite massive efforts to get grain out of Ukraine and to market, Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov told the Financial Times that "all of our activity won't cover even 20 percent of what we could do through the Black Sea ports."
A canal dock on Romania's Black Sea coast is struggling under a massive backlog of ships carrying vital food supplies out of Europe. The vessels cannot access Ukrainian ports due to Russia's war-ready naval presence in the Black Sea.
8/9Barley is loaded onto a vessel in the Russian port of Rostov-on-Don on June 11.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has blamed the looming food crisis on sanctions against Russian exports.
A canal dock on Romania's Black Sea coast is struggling under a massive backlog of ships carrying vital food supplies out of Europe. The vessels cannot access Ukrainian ports due to Russia's war-ready naval presence in the Black Sea.
9/9A Romanian pilot boat crewman is seen in front of a ship preparing to enter the Sulina Canal.
A director of a Romanian port operations company told Al-Jazeera that "Considering the large grain volumes that are in need of export from Ukraine, I believe this has to be a conjugated effort of all the European operators that have the capacity to participate." He added, "There is no place for ego here."
A canal dock on Romania's Black Sea coast is struggling under a massive backlog of ships carrying vital food supplies out of Europe. The vessels cannot access Ukrainian ports due to Russia's war-ready naval presence in the Black Sea.
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Ukrainian officials have accused Russia of stealing grain stocks from Ukraine and shipping them back to Russia and other countries.
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