UN chief announces "moment of truth" in talks on export of Ukrainian grain

The UN secretary general, António Guterres, has briefed the G7 leaders that his talks to lift the blockade on Ukrainian grain from ports on the Black Sea had reached “the moment of truth”, warning of dire consequences if a negotiated settlement was not reached soon between Ukraine and Russia.

Guterres said UN teams were holding separate talks with Russia and Ukraine to ensure both sides’ grains and fertilisers reached the market, The Guardian reported on June 27. 

In the critical diplomacy over the food crisis, the west has belatedly gone on the offensive by insisting that it is Putin, and not western sanctions, that is responsible for the collapse in grain exports and spiralling prices.

But Russia has released counter-propaganda claiming its food exports are hampered by EU sanctions, something Brussels denies. The complex negotiations on reaching an agreement on safe passage for grain convoys, overseen by Turkey and the UN, have lasted a month, and some countries on the brink of starvation want a solution.