Turkey backed Russia’s call for relief from sanctions limiting its exports of fertilizer and farm products but the two nations showed no sign of progress on a deal to unblock shipments of Ukrainian grain that have contributed to global food-supply fears.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who said his country wasn’t invited to the meeting Wednesday in Ankara, agreed in a phone conversation with Olaf Scholz that everything must be done to facilitate the export of grain, especially via sea, the German Chancellor’s spokesman said in an email on Wednesday.

The Kremlin’s invasion has cut off shipments of grain and other farm products from Ukraine, threatening millions of people in its traditional markets with food shortages. Moscow has denied responsibility for the disruption, blaming Ukraine for refusing to remove mines protecting its harbors from possible Russian attack. 

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Wednesday that Ukraine had shown willingness to guide ships safely through the minefields, but there was no immediate confirmation of that from Kyiv. 

Kyiv Skeptical

Ukraine has said it’s not convinced by the assurances Russia has offered that it won’t take advantage of de-mining to attack the ports, citing Moscow’s public statements before the invasion that it had no plans to attack. Lavrov suggested the Kremlin is ready to put those promises into some kind of official document.

For its part, Moscow has demanded the US and its allies ease sanction restrictions on shipping it says are preventing delivery of Russian fertilizer and farm products to world markets.

Cavusoglu endorsed that appeal, which the US has rejected. 

“We see the Russian demand for the removal of obstacles to its exports justified,” he said, while disagreeing with Lavrov’s claims that the disruption of Ukrainian supplies isn’t contributing to global shortages.“The food crisis is a real crisis. Both Russian and Ukrainian grains and fertilizers are part of this crisis.”

Before the talks, Ukraine’s Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskyi told a Turkish newspaper that “It it is too early to talk about any results” of discussions on unblocking shipments, adding that Ukraine remains in contact with its trade partners and the United Nations on the possibility. 

He said 20 million tons of grains and legumes as well as 5 million tons of seed oils from the 2021 harvest can’t be exported due to the blockade and that the situation will become dire when the new harvest begins in July. 

Ukraine is the leading exporter of sunflower oil as well as a major shipper of grains like barley, corn and wheat. Since it is not possible to fill the vacuum by another global supplier, the results will reverberate globally, Solskyi said. 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government has offered military help to clear mines off the coast of Odesa and escort grain ships but Ukraine has yet to endorse the plan, worried that removing defenses could leave the vital port prone to Russian attack, according to people familiar with the discussions. 

Along with Turkey, the Netherlands has expressed willingness to send warships to escort grain supplies stuck in Ukrainian ports. Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra is also paying a visit to Ankara on Wednesday.