Russia’s foreign minister has said the onus is on Ukraine to solve the problem of resuming grain shipments by de-mining its ports. Addressing reporters in Ankara following talks with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu, Lavrov claimed no action was required on the Russian side because it had already made the necessary commitments. “We state daily that we’re ready to guarantee the safety of vessels leaving Ukrainian ports and heading for the [Bosphorus] gulf, we’re ready to do that in cooperation with our Turkish colleagues,” he said. “To solve the problem, the only thing needed is for the Ukrainians to let vessels out of their ports, either by demining them or by marking out safe corridors, nothing more is required.” Lavrov alleged the main problem was that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had “categorically refused” to resolve the issue of the mined ports and said he appreciated Turkey’s efforts in looking for ways to resolve the situation.
