Russian and Ukrainian food is about to enter the global market? US and EU begin to lift some sanctions against Russia

to transport food stranded in Ukrainian ports to international markets, the United Nations has proposed to establish a cooperation mechanism between the United Nations, Russia, Ukraine and Turkey. For more than a month, the parties have continued to conduct multiple rounds of consultations and communication on this issue, and the talks have made positive progress. In addition, Russian grain exports are also positive. The United States and the European Union have begun to lift some sanctions against Russia, and Russian and Ukrainian grain exports are expected to enter the global market.

Quartet talks are progressing well

local time on Thursday (July 14), Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zakharova said that the four-party talks between Turkey, Russia, Ukraine and the United Nations on Ukraine's food exports will continue. She said that the four-party talks discussed the food issue in detail and the four parties are looking forward to reaching an agreement. It is reported that the next round of talks may be held from July 20 to 21.

Turkish Defense Minister Akar said the atmosphere of the talks was positive and constructive. In order to solve the food crisis, the parties discussed almost all the details of food security transportation and reached agreement on basic technical issues. For example, the establishment of a coordination center in Istanbul with the participation of representatives of all parties, the implementation of joint control at ports, and the protection of shipping safety on established navigation routes.

UN Secretary General Guterres also welcomed the preliminary agreement on Ukraine's food exports, calling it an "important and substantial step" to alleviate global hunger ".

Ukraine is known as the "granary of Europe" and is a major exporter of corn and wheat. It is reported that more than 20 million tons of Ukrainian grain are currently stranded in Odessa port and cannot be transported out.

According to the website of the Ukrainian Presidential Palace, Ukrainian President Zelensky said that according to the report of the Ukrainian delegation, some progress has been made in the four-party talks and the details will be coordinated with the UN Secretary-General in the next few days. He also thanked the United Nations and Turkey for their relevant efforts.

once the four parties reach an agreement, Ukraine's food export corridor is expected to be put into operation soon. If all goes well, Ukraine is expected to be able to export 30 million to 35 million tons of grain in the next six to eight months.

U.S. EU Begins to Lift Some Sanctions on Russia

In addition to the four-party talks, good news has also come from Russia's grain exports. The U.S. Treasury Department issued a statement on Thursday local time clarifying that its sanctions policy against Russia does not include agricultural and medical products, which will eliminate hidden sanctions that restrict Russian food exports. The European Union has followed suit, and the seventh round of sanctions against Russia is about to be announced, but it is considering revising the existing sanctions to ensure that they will not affect Russia's food exports.

, the U.S. Treasury Department issued a statement stating that agricultural commodities (including fertilizers), agricultural equipment, and medical drugs related to Russia are not the targets of U.S. sanctions. The United States supports the United Nations in bringing Russian-Ukrainian grain to the world market. The Office of Overseas Asset Control of the US Treasury Department has issued a "general license" related to Russia to authorize transactions of agricultural products and agricultural equipment, medicines and medical equipment.

Eduard Zernin, head of the Russian Grain Exporters Union, called the statement "an important step in the fight against world hunger". Zernin also expressed the hope that other relevant countries will follow the example of the United States and issue necessary clarifications and permits to eliminate hidden sanctions that restrict Russian exports.

EU, the United States is taking the lead and is also adjusting sanctions to avoid food shortages. European Commission officials claimed that the seventh round of sanctions is about to be introduced, and the EU will ban the import of Russian gold, which is Russia's largest non-energy export commodity. In addition, the list of goods prohibited from exporting to Russia will be expanded and sanctions will be imposed on more Russian individuals and entities. However, existing restrictions will be adjusted to avoid hindering Russian grain exports.

these officials said that if Russian ships bring food or medicine into EU ports, they will not be sanctioned.

In addition, according to a message posted on the website of the Permanent Mission of Russia to the United Nations, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Vershinin discussed with Secretary General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Greenspan on Wednesday the issue of ensuring the uninterrupted supply of Russian food and fertilizer to the world market. "Continue to discuss the task of maintaining global food security, which includes ensuring uninterrupted supply of agricultural products to world markets, mainly grains and fertilizers from Russia."