Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov believes that peace talks to settle the Ukraine war are only possible as part of a “new world order” without US hegemony. Negotiations must be based on taking Russian interests into account, he said on a visit to Turkey on Friday. “It’s about the principles on which the new world order will be based.”
Lavrov also threatened that Russia would withdraw from the grain agreement with Ukraine. Russia will not extend the agreement without facilitating its own agricultural exports, Lavrov said. “If there is still no movement in removing barriers to Russian fertilizer and grain exports, we will consider whether we need the agreement,” he was quoted as saying by the state news agency Tass. If the West does not give in, Russia could resume the blockade of the Ukrainian Black Sea ports.
At the meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Çavusoglu in Ankara, Lavrov said to the West: “Let them continue to ship the relevant goods from Ukraine overland by rail or by river.” Russia will then work with Turkey and Qatar to sell its agricultural goods on the world market. The plans for this have already been discussed. The agreement expires without an extension in the middle of next month.
After the start of its war of aggression against Ukraine in February last year, Russia had blocked the Ukrainian Black Sea ports for months, thereby preventing grain exports. Ukraine is one of the most important exporters worldwide. As a result, there were fears of a hunger crisis, especially in poorer countries. An agreement was then negotiated in the summer, mediated by Turkey and the United Nations. Since then, according to Turkish information, more than 27 million tons of Ukrainian grain have entered the world market.
The agreement, originally concluded for 120 days, has been extended twice, the last time only for 60 days. Russia has repeatedly threatened to scrap the agreement. This is also justified by the fact that the country’s own exports of grain and fertilizer are being hampered by western sanctions. The grain agreement was brokered by Turkey and the UN and is therefore on the agenda of Lavrov’s visit to Ankara. The Russian Foreign Minister not only met his Turkish colleague Mevlut Cavusoglu there, his program also included a meeting with the Turkish head of state Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
