Montreux Convention will help oust Russians from Black Sea Montreux Convention will help oust Russians from Black Sea – Diplomat Bezsmertnyi on grain transportation

He expressed this opinion on Espreso TV.

"Even though there is a war going on, the volume of grain grown in Ukraine is huge by world standards. Last year, Ukraine exported more than 30 million tonnes of grain, excluding oils and oilseeds. It is clear that such volumes cannot be exported by rail or through other ports without additional costs and infrastructure development. For me, it is obvious that it is necessary to fully apply the provisions of the Montreux Convention (the convention that restored Turkey's sovereignty over the straits from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean was adopted at the Conference on the Regime of the Black Sea Straits in 1936 in Montreux, Switzerland - ed.)

Roman Bezsmertnyi explained that the guarantors of the implementation of this convention are the United Kingdom, France, and Italy, which have repeatedly organised a naval squadron in the event of similar issues in history and have become guarantors of security in the region itself.

"Moreover, even from Turkey's point of view, the Convention stipulates that if any country feels threatened by its own economic interests, Ankara has the right to block or prevent the ships in question from entering. In my opinion, Ukrainian diplomacy needs to return to considering the implementation of this convention, either within the framework of a meeting of the so-called Global Peace Forum or by convening a separate meeting on the implementation of the Montreux Convention. By forming an international squadron that will go to the Black Sea and oust Russians, the transportation of grain from Ukrainian ports will be ensured," Bezsmertnyi stressed.

What is known about the work of the "grain corridor"

On July 17, Russia announced the termination of the grain deal. In response, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that it was necessary to continue using the grain corridor even despite Russia's withdrawal from the agreement. And Kuleba began urgent consultations at the UN.

On July 30, despite the completion of the grain deal, three civilian cargo ships of foreign origin passed the Russian blockade in the Black Sea and anchored in one of Ukraine's grain ports in the Danube Delta.

Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov said on August 4 that Ukraine would send ships with its own grain to wherever it deems necessary and would not ask anyone for permission.

On August 10, the Ukrainian Navy announced a temporary humanitarian corridor for merchant ships sailing to and from Ukrainian ports.