Negotiators for Russia and Ukraine have reached an agreement to allow exports of grain and other food products to be shipped out of the ports along the Black Sea in an effort to stabilize world food markets, Reuters reports.
The Turkish government acted as a mediator to get the deal done, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that shipments could start as early as the end of the day Friday, local time. The Russians have agreed to lift its blockade, but will stop any ships it suspects of bringing aid into the ports that may help the Ukrainian defense.
The agreement also allows Russia to export grain and other goods out of the Ukrainian ports, which will not only improve global food supplies, but also help to fund a faltering Russian government that has been crippled by international sanctions following its invasion of Ukraine.