Chris McGrath | Getty Images The agency that oversees the export of Ukrainian agricultural products said there is a backlog of 77 ships waiting to be loaded with cargo. The Joint Coordination Center also reported that around 15 loaded ships are waiting for inspection in Turkish territorial waters. The Black Sea Grain Initiative, an agreement brokered in July between Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations, eased Russia’s naval blockade and saw the opening of three key Ukrainian ports. Since the signing of the agreement, more than 10 million metric tons of grain and food have left for destinations around the world. Kyiv has previously accused Moscow of suspending inspections and delaying ship movements. — Amanda Macias
Eight ships to depart from Ukrainian ports under the Black Sea Initiative
A photo taken on October 31, 2022 shows cargo ships loaded with grain at the anchorage area of the southern entrance of the Bosphorus in Istanbul. Ozan Kose | Afp | Getty Images The agency that oversees the export of Ukrainian agricultural products said eight ships would depart from the besieged country. The amount of grain and other foodstuffs exported under the Black Sea Grain Initiative has so far exceeded 10 million metric tons. The Black Sea Grain Initiative, an agreement brokered in July between Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations, eased Russia’s naval blockade and saw the opening of three key Ukrainian ports. — Amanda Macias
Biden has ‘no intention’ to meet Putin on sidelines of G-20
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a press conference after a trilateral meeting with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Sochi, Russia, October 31, 2022. Sergey Bobylev | Sputnik | via Reuters The White House said the Biden administration does not plan to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the upcoming G20 summit. “He has no intention of meeting with President Putin,” White House press secretary Karin Jean-Pierre told reporters during a daily press briefing when asked if preparations were underway for a bilateral. He added that Ukraine should also be able to attend the G-20 meetings in Indonesia, regardless of whether Putin attends. “We have been very clear about how we view this invitation,” added Jean Pierre. — Amanda Macias
White House says Russian influence in US election ‘well known and well documented’
Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre holds the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, September 23, 2022. Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters White House press secretary Karin Jean-Pierre said Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin’s claims that Russia interfered and continues to interfere in the US election were no surprise. “These comments tell us nothing new or surprising, as we all know,” Jean-Pierre told a news conference. “It is widely known and well documented in the public domain that entities associated with Yevgeny Prigozhin have attempted to influence elections around the world, including in the United States.” According to Jean-Pierre, Prigozhin “is a known bad actor who has been punished by the United States, the United Kingdom, but also the European Union.” “We also know that part of Russia’s efforts include promoting narratives aimed at undermining democracy and sowing division and discord. It is not surprising that Russia is highlighting its efforts and constructing … a story about its successes in eve of the election,” he said ahead of Tuesday’s subsequent midterm elections. Prigozhin is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Earlier this year, the US State Department offered a $10 million reward for information about Prigozhin and other Russian entities and individuals who knowingly interfered in the US election. – Rocio Fabbro
UK and France discuss clean energy cooperation and support for Ukraine on the sidelines of COP27
British Conservative MP Rishi Sunak leaves his home address in London, Britain, October 24, 2022. Peter Nicholls | Reuters UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and French President Emmanuel Macron met on the sidelines of the COP27 climate conference in Egypt to discuss continued cooperation on clean energy and support for Ukraine. “They noted opportunities for the UK and France to work further together on the clean energy transition, including on nuclear power policy,” a Downing Street spokesman said. “The leaders also discussed the ongoing Russian attacks on Ukraine and the continued importance of maintaining military and economic support for Ukraine’s defense.” Alternative energy supply has become a key issue for the UK, France and the rest of Europe, which are heavily dependent on Russian gas and energy imports. As countries look to climate-friendly energy solutions, including nuclear and other clean energy sources, to meet their climate commitments, European leaders have also sought to reduce natural gas use and find alternative sources amid fears that the continued purchase of Russian natural gas helps finance Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine. – Rocio Fabbro
Zelenskyy’s adviser says Ukraine is ready for negotiations with Russia’s next leader
A top adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine is ready for negotiations, not just with current Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Ukraine has never refused to negotiate. Our negotiating position is known and open,” Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted. The negotiations, however, depend on Russia withdrawing from Ukrainian soil, Podolyak added, something he believes Putin is “obviously not” ready for. “Therefore, we are constructive in our assessment: we will talk to the next leader of the Russian Federation,” he said, referring to the Russian Federation. That statement comes as growing calls for Ukraine to open up to negotiations have come mainly from Turkey and the United States in the past week, as concerns abound from allies about “Ukraine fatigue” and members’ disapproval of continued financial support to the Ukraine. – Rocio Fabbro
Zelensky says Ukraine won’t attend G-20 summit if Putin attends
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier meet as Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues in Kyiv, Ukraine on October 25, 2022. Jesco Denzel | BPA | via Reuters Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said his war-weary country will not attend the G-20 summit if Russian President Vladimir Putin attends. “My personal position and the position of Ukraine was that if the leader of the Russian Federation participates, then Ukraine will not participate. Let’s see how it will be in the future,” Zelensky said on the Telegram messaging app, according to a translation by NBC News. . Zelensky added that he has received several invitations to attend the G-20 in Indonesia. Last week, Indonesia’s president told the Financial Times that he had a “strong impression” that Putin would miss the G-20 summit. — Amanda Macias
Ukraine is experiencing blackouts amid intense attacks by the Russian military
A cafe is without electricity in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv after three Russian missiles hit targeted energy infrastructure on October 11, 2022. Lviv’s mayor said a third of homes were without power. Yuriy Dyachyshyn Afp | Getty Images Ukraine’s state electricity company announced a blackout in Kyiv and seven other regions of the country after Russia’s devastating strikes on energy infrastructure. The move comes as Russian forces continue to pound Ukrainian towns and villages with missiles and drones, damaging power plants, water supplies and other civilian targets, in a war nearing the end of nine months. Ukrenergo, the sole operator of Ukraine’s high-voltage transmission lines, initially said in an online statement that planned blackouts would take place in the capital and the greater Kyiv region, as well as in several areas around it — Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Zhytomyr , Sumy, Poltava and Kharkiv. Later in the day, however, the company released an update saying that scheduled outages of a certain number of hours are not enough and instead there will be emergency outages, which could last indefinitely. Ukraine has been dealing with power outages and water cuts since Russia began unleashing a massive barrage of missiles and drones on the country’s energy infrastructure last month. — Associated Press
Russian billionaire known as ‘Putin’s chef’ says he meddled in US election
Yevgeny Prigozhin, Russian businessman and close ally of Vladimir Putin. He recently admitted to creating the Wagner Group, a private military company fighting in Ukraine, in 2014. Mikhail Svetlov | Getty Images Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin said on Monday that he interfered in the US election and would continue to do so in the future, the first such admission by a figure formally implicated by Washington in efforts to influence US politics. In comments posted by the Concord catering company’s press service on Russia’s Facebook counterpart VKontakte, Prigozhin said: “We have interfered (in the US election), we are interfering and we will continue to interfere. Carefully, precisely, surgically and in our own way , as we know how to do”. The remark was published on the eve of the US midterm elections in response to a request for comment from a Russian news website. “During our operations, we will remove both the kidneys and the liver at once,” Prigozhin said. He did not elaborate on the cryptic comment. Prigozhin, who is often referred to as “Putin’s chef” because his catering company handles Kremlin contracts, has been formally accused of sponsoring Russia-based “troll farms” that seek to…
