ANALYSIS – Will this bring NATO closer to war with Russia? The first civilian ship to sail from Ukraine since the end of the Black Sea grain deal has reached Turkey using a temporary ‘humanitarian corridor' for shipping established by Kyiv.
The Hong-Kong-flagged (and German-Chinese owned) Joseph Schulte container ship that left the Russian-blocked Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odesa earlier this week had been stranded in the port since Feb. 23, 2022, the day before Russia's invasion.
The 1,000-foot-long ship sailed as Russian airstrikes reportedly damaged grain storage facilities in Reni, a river port on the Danube some 160 miles southwest of Odesa. (RELATED: Video: Russia Conducting Potentially Lethal Strikes 200 Meters From NATO Country)
Politico noted that:
Ukraine's maritime infrastructure has come under heavy bombardment after Russia unilaterally withdrew from a U.N.-brokered grain deal last month, credited with enabling 32.9 million tons of foodstuffs to leave Ukraine's ports and helping prevent famine in the Global South.
The ship successfully completed its voyage across the mine-strewn waters of the Black Sea from Ukraine to Turkey, a NATO member country.
Ukraine last week announced the corridor in the Black Sea to release cargo ships that have been trapped in its ports after the termination of the main grain exports deal last month.
According to the Ukrainian Navy, the shipping lane will “primarily be used for civilian ships which have been in the Ukrainian ports of Chornomorsk, Odesa and Pivdennyi since the beginning of the full-scale invasion by Russia.”
Once they leave Ukrainian waters, ships can chart a course to Turkey through the national waters of Romania and Bulgaria, which are both also NATO members. (RELATED: Putin Escalates As Russian Jet Fighters Take Down US Military Drone)
Moscow has not indicated whether it would respect the shipping corridor, and shipping and insurance sources have expressed concerns about safety.
As the BBC reported:
Last month Russia pulled out of a deal guaranteeing safe passage for exports across the Black Sea and said any ship heading for Ukrainian ports could be considered a military target.
Earlier this week it fired warning shots at a ship travelling towards Ukraine. Ukraine is a major grain and oilseeds exporter, and the blockade has contributed to rising food prices globally.
Despite the threats, Ukraine last week announced a humanitarian corridor in the Black Sea to allow ships to leave its ports, promising full transparency to make clear they were serving no military purpose.
“A first vessel used the temporary corridor for merchant ships to/from the ports of Great Odesa,” Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said on Facebook.
Russia did more than fire warning shots at a ship, though. As Politico reported, Russia also boarded the Şükrü Okan, a Palau-flagged civilian cargo ship close to Turkey's maritime border, while video showed troops boarding the vessel and interrogating the crew.
Meanwhile – earlier this week, former U.S. Admiral and NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe James Stavridis told Politico that Moscow's tactics could force the alliance to intervene.
“If Russia starts seizing vessels or seeks to scare them away, I think it is likely NATO will respond by supporting a humanitarian corridor for shipping,” Stavridis said.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
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This is a distraction to the Biden crimes, Clinton crimes and Obama crimes because of the Durham report. Whose side are you on?
Russian pirate disrupting international shipping.
We never should have been involved in any way with Ukraine in the first place. It’s been the world’s money laundering machine, especially for Democrats.
“he Hong-Kong-flagged (and German-Chinese owned) Joseph Schulte container ship?” Hong Kong? Chinese? not hard to understand Russia and Biden allowed their ally safe passage.