could this be the 1st step to peace?
Unusual development via/ Turkey
Turkey: Ukraine grain export deal to be signed in Istanbul
Jul. 21, 2022 2:11 PM ET
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish officials say a deal on a U.N. plan to unblock the exports of Ukrainian grain amid the war and to allow Russia to export grain and fertilizers will be signed Friday in Istanbul.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's office said that he, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres and officials from Russia and Ukraine will oversee the signing ceremony. It did not provide further details.
“The grain export agreement, critically important for global food security, will be signed in Istanbul tomorrow under the auspices of President Erdoğan and U.N. Secretary General Mr. Guterres together with Ukrainian and Russian delegations,” Erdogan spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said in a tweet.
Guterres has been working on a plan that would enable Ukraine to export millions of tons of grain that have been stuck in its Black Sea ports — a move that could ease a global food crisis that has sent wheat and other grain prices soaring. At least 22 million tons of grain are stuck there due to the war.
Last week, the sides met in Istanbul, reaching a tentative agreement on the plan. It foresees joint controls of ships as they leave and arrive at Black Sea ports, and a mechanism to ensure the safety of the transfer routes, Turkish officials said.
A coordination center for the shipping of exports would be established in Istanbul and would include U.N., Turkish, Russian and Ukrainian officials.