Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Ukrainian authorities approached Russia's international partners to help secure permission for grain exports from Ukrainian ports.
Speaking to reporters after the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Kyrgyzstan, Putin said Kyiv contacted several countries, including Arab states, India, and Turkey, with requests to influence Moscow.
According to the Russian leader, Ukrainian officials made identical requests across these nations, asking them to persuade Moscow to allow cargo departures under the pretext of meeting humanitarian and social needs, state news agency RIA Novosti reported.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is a Eurasian political, economic, and security alliance established in 2001 by Russia and China, with Central Asian nations such as Kyrgyzstan hosting its leaders' meetings. India is a full member of the regional group, which serves as a major venue for high-level diplomatic discussions outside Western multilateral forums.
Danube shipping bottleneck
The Russian president's comments follow earlier reports from international news agency Reuters that a maritime queue of 70 vessels had formed near the Sulina Channel on the Danube River.
Those vessels were waiting for access to Ukrainian ports to load grain for overseas delivery, causing congestion that threatened to complicate operations at river ports along the waterway.
Industry reports indicated that the prolonged waiting times risk creating severe operational delays, which could result in thousands of dollars in financial losses for cargo operators.
The Danube River serves as a critical alternative transit route for agricultural exports from Eastern Europe. Its Sulina Channel, located in the Danube Delta region of Romania, functions as a vital navigable shipping channel allowing commercial river barges and cargo ships access to the Black Sea.
Ukraine is a major global producer of grain and oilseeds, supplying markets across the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. Turkey and several Arab nations have frequently engaged in diplomatic efforts to facilitate maritime transport and trade stability in the region.
