Even though it will take time for the Ukrainian ports to be cleared of mines, Turkiye's proposal is to create a mine-free security corridor in the region under the UN's recommendation, and for these merchant ships to cross the Black Sea with naval escort.
The fastest solution is to transport wheat directly from Russian ports in the Azov Sea. In this case, without a mine clearance activity, the wheat that will come out of the Russian ports can cross the Black Sea with the escort of the TN.
The road transport proposal of France and some EU institutions is definitely not a model that can work. The costs are multiplying at an incredible scale. Moreover, a supply density that will meet the demand cannot be created with this model.
For me, if we look at recent developments, grain problem is about to be solved. A tripartite mechanism was established between Ukraine, Russia and Turkiye. A staff member with the rank of general was appointed from the defense ministries of these countries, also the hotline line was created for this purposes. Recent studies are being carried out on a model in which Turkiye is responsible in matters that both sides have reservations about.
Vassily Nebenzia, Russia's Ambassador to the United Nations, said his country could provide "safe passage" for grain from Ukraine to be transported across the Black Sea. "But it's not our responsibility to create a safety corridor," Nebenzia said.
In other words, the Russian side does not have a negative view on the exit of the grain if the demining activity is carried out with a suitable mechanism. Of course, this mechanism should also include confidence-building measures that will remove the obstacles to Russia's own grain export.
In short, I believe that with the resumption of supply chains, the Egyptian people will reduce this risk to a controllable level in the coming months.
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