Insurers demand guarantees for the Ukrainian “grain corridor”

Insurance companies require additional guarantees for organizing a “grain corridor” from Ukrainian ports. Ukraine does not yet share the optimism of insurers, because at the forefront is the protection and defense of the Black Sea from russian aggression.

Ships can only be insured if international naval escorts are organized and a clear anti-naval mine strategy is in place. Reuters writes about the requirements of insurers, citing its own sources among companies.

Insurance companies say ships must be escorted by warships and minesweepers. Only in this case it will not be considered a “gamble”.

Sources of the publication in insurance companies also believe that ships of Ukraine and a terrorist country, as well as ships of the UN and Turkey, can provide acceptable escort. One of the insurers opined that satellite technology to locate mines could be helpful in demining. Such technology may be in the United States, Great Britain or France.

The publication notes that in anticipation of the deblockade of Ukrainian ports, the premium for insurance has decreased. If at the end of February 5% was charged from each vessel, now the surcharge has fallen to 2%.

In its turn, the leadership of Ukraine does not share the optimistic mood of insurers. According to adviser to the head of the Office of the President Mikhail Podolyak, any russian guarantees for the export of Ukrainian grain are considered invalid.

“There is no russian federation, there is a false federation – that would be the right name for it in the legal sense. Therefore, no guarantees that russian federation can give to anyone are considered valid and we do not pay attention to them. There are guarantees from Turkey, and we are working through them,” Podolyak said during the telethon.

According to him, there will be no relaxation of the protection of the Black Sea. Podolyak stressed that if a terrorist country uses every opportunity to harm Ukraine, the negotiations will stop. Now the negotiations with russia are purely technical.

“These are rather technical negotiations, during which a technical document is being developed that will regulate the procedure for the export of Ukrainian grain,” Podolyak said.

In its  turn, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that the issue of opening a corridor for the supply of grain and agricultural products from Ukraine can be resolved in the coming days. In addition, Turkey believes that the “grain agreement” gives “little hope” for ending the war in Ukraine as a whole, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on TRT.