President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said: “Ukraine can export 10 million tons of grain per month through the ports of Odessa, and at the moment there are stuck there from 22 to 25 million tons, and by autumn the volume of our grain there can reach 75 million tons.” So what are we going to do? So without ports we can’t do anything.”

He pointed out during a press conference to the continuation of negotiations on grain exports with the UN, the Baltic countries and Poland, but added: “But this route is not a priority due to the long distance.”

Zelenskiy denied there were any talks about a plan to end the war Russia is waging against Ukraine and pointed out that “more than 2,500 Ukrainian soldiers who left the Azovstal plant are currently being held captive in Russia”, stressing that they are “seeking for the return of all prisoners of war. Ukrainians are going home.

French President Emmanuel Macron previously confirmed that “in a short period, under the auspices of the UN and with the assistance of Turkey, 20 million tons of Ukrainian grain will be exported,” and added: “Positive results have been obtained from the negotiations between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Turkey.” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the export of wheat outside Ukraine.

Ukraine accuses the Russian authorities of closing its ports and stopping the export of agricultural products abroad, explaining this as follows: “We have lost 40 percent of all agricultural production for the current 2022, and 90 percent of agricultural exports through the Black Sea have been stopped, and our ability to export agricultural products crops Alternative to the Black Sea farming methods do not exceed 30%.

On the other hand, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that “the Russian army guarantees the unhindered passage of ships with grain from Ukrainian ports to the Mediterranean Sea if Ukraine solves the problem of exporting grain.”