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The latest developments in Russia’s war on Ukraine. All times EST.

12:55 a.m.: Ukraine has sent an appeal to the U.N. and Turkey to start negotiations on extending a grain export deal, but there has been no response, a Ukrainian government source said on Tuesday. 

Yuriy Vaskov, Ukraine’s deputy minister of restoration, told Reuters last week that Kyiv would ask all sides to start talks to roll over the deal, seeking an extension of at least one year that would include the ports of Mykolaiv. 

The Black Sea Grain Initiative brokered by the U.N. and Turkey last July allowed grain to be exported from three Ukrainian ports. The agreement was extended in November and will expire on March 18 unless an extension is agreed. 

A major global grain grower and exporter, Ukraine’s grain exports were down almost 27% at 31.8 million metric tons in the 2022/23 season as of February 27, impacted by a smaller harvest and logistical difficulties caused by the Russian invasion. 

Ukraine exports around 3 million metric tons of agricultural products a month under the deal, but Vaskov said Ukraine was able to export 6 million metric tons a month from the ports of Odesa region and boost it to 8 million metric tons if Mykolaiv joins. 

12:01 a.m.: Finland’s parliament moved closer Tuesday toward accelerating its bid to join NATO, increasing the likelihood that it would leave its neighbor Sweden behind to rapidly enter the trans-Atlantic defense pact, Agence France-Presse reported.

A vote is scheduled by Finnish MPs on Wednesday afternoon for speeding up the ascension process, as the two countries have the backing of all but two of NATO’s 30 members, the holdouts being Hungary and Turkey.

Many Finnish lawmakers have pushed for legislation affirming that Finland accepts the terms of the NATO treaty even before elections on April 2.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday that Ankara now looks favorably on Finland’s bid.

While passing the bill does not mean that Finland will automatically join NATO after ratification by Turkey and Hungary, it puts in place a deadline for how long it can wait for Sweden.

Some information in this report came from Agence France-Presse and Reuters. [Read More]

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Source: VOA News: War and Conflict