Ukraine’s Zelenskyy visits Black Sea ports as first grain shipments set to sail

Share! :D

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday his country was ready to start grain shipments from the Black Sea ports and was awaiting a signal from the United Nations and Turkey to start the shipments.

Zelenskyy's office said the president had visited the Black Sea port of Chornomorsk, which has been blockaded by Russia, to oversee preparations for the shipments under a U.N.-brokered agreement signed in Turkey last week.

"Our side is fully prepared. We sent all the signals to our partners - the U.N. and Turkey, and our military guarantees the security situation," Zelenskyy said.

Russia and Ukraine agreed last week to unblock grain exports from Black Sea ports, which have been threatened by Russian attacks since it invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.

The deal was the first diplomatic breakthrough of the conflict and wheat prices being offered in Asia slid this week on expectations of higher supplies.