Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs replies to Lavrov about "mined ports": withdraw forces from Black Sea, and guarantee non-aggression

European Pravda — THURSDAY, 2 JUNE 2022, 11:38

Ukraine and its partners are discussing the possibility of establishing an international mission to unblock Ukrainian maritime exports which, as a first step, would require Russia to withdraw its forces from the maritime waters around Ukraine and provide security guarantees about non-aggression.

This was stated by Oleh Nikolenko, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, commenting on the statement of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, European Pravda reports.

Lavrov claims that the Russians are ready to let ships with Ukrainian grain pass, "if Ukraine demines ports."

Nikolenko rejected Lavrov's words, noting that by attacking Ukraine, Russia had besieged Ukrainian seaports, and the Russian army had mined part of the sea and was constantly trying to break through the Black Sea defences of Odesa and other coastal cities.

According to Nikolenko, Ukraine is working with partners to establish an international mission, in particular under the auspices of the United Nations, which will take over the functioning of sea routes for the export of Ukrainian agricultural products.

Ukraine welcomes the previous readiness of a number of countries to join the process of restoring security in the Black Sea.

At the same time, Ukraine demands that Russia, as a first step, withdraw its forces in the maritime waters around Ukraine and provide security guarantees of non-aggression on ports and commercial convoys.

"Russia must immediately unblock Ukrainian seaports, stop shelling Odesa and other coastal cities, withdraw its navy to a distance that will prevent an attack on merchant ships, and not create obstacles to international navigation," Nikolenko said.

"We call on countries whose food security may suffer the most from Russia's aggression against Ukraine to use their contacts with Moscow to force it to lift the blockade of Ukrainian seaports and end the war," he said.

EU Ambassador to Ukraine Matti Maasikas said the day before that perhaps Russia's most egregious lie concerns the food crisis.
The Russian Foreign Ministry also stated that they are ready to provide a humanitarian corridor for the export of Ukrainian crops across the Black Sea in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. The United States and Britain have already said they are not going to consider such concessions.