Ukrainian television reporter Muslim Umerov said at the time the press conference was due to end, “I have to ask you a question.”
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Although the protocol no longer provided for this, Lavrov agreed to respond. “Apart from grain, what else did you sell in Ukraine?” Umerov asked.
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Lavrov asked to repeat the question and launched a counterattack with a smile. “You Ukrainians are still dealing with what can be stolen, and you think that is what everyone thinks. Our goals in eastern Ukraine are clear, we want to free the people from the neo-Nazi regime. We do not create any barriers to grain. In order for it to be exported from ports, it is necessary for Mr (President Volodymyr) Zelensky to give the order, if he still commands something, that’s all. “
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Umerov works for the Ukrainian television newsroom in Istanbul and said that he reported throughout the press conference so that he could ask a question. “In the end, I understood that they would not let me speak, so I decided to raise my voice and risk disrupting the conference, the whole of Ukraine is waiting for an answer to this question,” Umerov said in an interview with AFP.
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On Friday, the Ukrainian ambassador to Ankara accused Russia of stealing Ukrainian grain and exporting it, especially to Turkey. Satellite images also show the export of stolen Ukrainian grain by sea.
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AFP wrote that Lavrov has traveled abroad a little since the beginning of the Russian war against Ukraine, he was in China, India, Algeria, Saudi Arabia and twice in Turkey. Traveling is complicated by the fact that the airspace above Russian aircraft is closed to the EU.
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According to the Ukrainian authorities, 22 to 25 million tons of grain cannot be exported from the country due to the Russian naval blockade. If the situation with transportation is not resolved, the amount could triple, said President Zelensky.
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Due to Moscow’s position, according to Kiev, there is a risk of deteriorating food supplies in Africa or the Middle East. Concerns about the impact of the war in Ukraine on the food supply of poorer countries have also been expressed by international organizations, including the United Nations. Moscow denies responsibility for the situation, saying it was a consequence of Western sanctions.
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