Last night the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, strongly condemned the Russian attacks on the facilities ports of Odessa and other Ukrainian Black Sea ports, attacks which were launched after Moscow announced its withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, the agreement signed one year makes to Istanbul from Russia, Ukraine and Turkey, under the auspices of the UN, to enable the safe maritime transport of products agricultural exports through Ukrainian ports in the framework of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Following the withdrawal from the agreement, the Russia has threatened the ships and nations whose flags they fly that they will continue to call Ukrainian ports considering them involved in the conflict ( of 17 and 19 July 2023).

Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the Secretary General of the UN, in a statement to the press denounced that the attacks contradict the commitments made by the Russian Federation pursuant to the Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nations, in which - recalled - it is stated that "the Russian Federation will facilitate unhindered export of food, sunflower oil and fertilizers from Black Sea ports under Ukrainian control." "The secretary general - added Dujarric - recalls Furthermore, the destruction of civilian infrastructure may constitute a violation of international humanitarian law'.

The spokesperson highlighted that these attacks have an impact which goes far beyond Ukraine: "we are already witnessing - he explained - to the negative effect on global prices of wheat and wheat maize, which harms everyone, but especially vulnerable people in the South of the world'. "For his part - continued Dujarric - The Secretary-General shall not yield to his efforts to ensure that Ukrainian food and fertilisers and Russians are available on international markets as part of the its continuous commitment to fight hunger in the world and ensure Food price stability for consumers all over the world».

Meanwhile, Ukraine's ambassador to Turkey, Vasyl Bodnar, in statements collected by "Radio Svoboda", he said the possibility of continuing to maintain a "corridor" of wheat" in the Black Sea even after Russia has withdrawn from the agreement, although no one can guarantee that the Russia will not attack merchant ships. Bodnar took over whereas, in fact, ships departing from the port system of Odessa may pass through the territorial waters of Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey and that these vessels are inspected or not depends on what the Black parties will decide Sea Grain Initiative because neither Ukraine nor the Turkey, nor has the United Nations withdrawn from this initiative, which - underlined the ambassador - for Ukraine continues to be valid.

Noting that the only problem is the physical threat revolt from Russia to ships transiting in the Black Sea, Bodnar has observed that one of the options to get out of the situation could be be to work with ship insurers, even if in This case raises questions of liability for risks for safety. Recalling that the value of insurance on ship is traditionally relevant for navigation, the ambassador noted that, when it was signed the wheat agreement, so this value is decreased, allowing the resumption of cereal exports. According to Bodnar, this scenario can also be reproduced. Today, if there is the political will and on the basis of some security measures that Ukraine can guarantee, as well as Maybe one of the partners in the agreement. In any case - it has highlighted - we must take responsibility for shooting down missiles or Other weapons that the Russians could use to attack ports or ships.

Meanwhile, the Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations, Serhiy Kyslytsia, at a meeting of the UN Security Council, denounced that Russia pretends to suffer losses from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, although It actually doubled its grain exports. Accusation that seems to be confirmed by the volume of past cereals recently in Russian ports, which constitutes a significant share of these goods exported from Russia and which in the second quarter of this year it has grown of +129.9% ( of 12 July 2023).