The EU's chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, hopes for a deal between Ukraine and Russia to unblock grain exports this week.

Josep Borrell said that before the EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels.

"We are doing our best to unblock grain export grain across the Black Sea, across Bulgaria and Romania, but it is not enough. I have a hope that this week it will be possible to reach an agreement to unblock Odesa and other Ukrainian ports," he said.

"The life of thousands, more than thousands, tens of thousands of people depend on this agreement. It is not a diplomatic game. It is an issue of life or death for many.
The West insists Russia should unblock and allow the export of Ukrainian grain. Russia uses food as a weapon without any consideration for human beings' lives. We need to speak loudly about this," he added.

In the quadrilateral negotiations in Istanbul regarding the Ukrainian grain export, Ukraine proposed to create a navigation algorithm in the Black Sea for safe shipping.

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said the negotiators in Istanbul on Wednesday agreed on the creation of a coordination center for the Ukrainian grain export by sea, and the corresponding agreement will be signed next week.

And UN Secretary-General António Guterres said at the quadrilateral meeting in Istanbul, that the parties achieved "critical" progress on the issue of grain export from Ukraine by sea.