UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres negotiates with russia, Turkey, and other countries to open Ukrainian grain exports to prevent global food shortages.
According to The Wall Street Journal, citing diplomats, in exchange for the unblocking of grain, Guterres offers russian and belarusian potassium returns to the world market.
Sources cited in the publication believe that russia does not seriously negotiate this possibility. According to them, Turkey has expressed readiness to participate in the agreements, in particular by demining the sea and managing shipments.
Representatives of Russia and Ukraine to the UN refused to comment.
The UN fears that due to the undermining of Ukraine's agricultural industry due to the war and the blockade of Ukrainian ports by russia, rising prices and potential shortages could destabilize the situation in poor countries which depend on Ukrainian grain.
Former and current officials say the UN Security Council cannot even pass a resolution aimed at releasing Ukrainian grain exports, as russia has a veto right and is likely to use it.
However, the publication writes that even without a UN resolution, countries that depend on Ukrainian grain will pressure Moscow to allow at least limited supplies by ships under the flags of international organizations, neutral or russia-friendly countries.
Ukraine estimates that at least 400,000 tons of grain have been stolen from Ukraine and exported since russia's large-scale invasion.
Earlier, Canada expressed readiness to send ships to European ports to deliver Ukrainian grain to those who needed it.