UK claims chances to end Russia-Ukraine war remain low despite talks on grain exports

As the war between Russia and Ukraine continues, the United Kingdom in the latest intelligence report claimed that 
Russian forces continue to carry out artillery strikes across a broad front in Donbass. The British intelligence claimed that small company and platoon-sized units of Russia conducting assaults in some areas of Donbass. The UK MoD claimed that chances to end the ongoing war despite talks between Russia and Ukraine on grain exports and prisoner exchanges remain low. 

"Despite 13 July 2022 talks between delegations from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, and the UN on grain exports and recent successfully negotiated prisoner exchanges, the prospects for wider talks to end the conflict remain low," the UK Defence Ministry said in the latest update. 

The talks between Russia and Ukraine on grain exports comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been accusing Moscow's troops of blocking their ports and halting the export of grains. In addition, the British ministry underscored that Moscow's troops have not been able to make significant territorial advances over the past 72 hours and remain in danger of losing any momentum that they had gained after occupying Lysychansk. The update pointed out that the ageing vehicles, weapons and "Soviet-era tactics" used by Russian armed forces do not allow them to quickly regain momentum unless they use them in "overwhelming mass" which they are unable to do currently. 

Russia, Ukraine, Turkey & UN talks on grain exports

The delegations of Turkey, Ukraine, and Russia in coordination with the UN have agreed to set up a coordination centre for the resumption of grain exports through Ukrainian ports, Anadolu Agency reported. Calling the meeting "constructive and positive," Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said that the officials of respective countries agreed to set up coordination in Istanbul to resume the export of Ukrainian grain, as per the news report. He said that the officials of Russia and Ukraine would hold a meeting in Turkey next week to review the details of the deal and sign the agreement. 

According to Hulusi Akar, officials of the respective countries reached a consensus on a system of joint control over the grain at seaports and navigation safety on the route of the transit. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that both parties have taken a "critical step forward" to resume the export of grains from Ukrainian ports, according to AP. He added that "more technical work" will be required to sign the agreement between Russia and Ukraine. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to the United Nations and Turkey for their efforts to the resumption of exports of Ukraine's grains. In his late-night video address on 13 July, Zelenskyy said that the delegation of Ukraine told him about the progress made in the meeting regarding the issue. 

Image: AP