ASAP Agri denies reports of Ukraine-Russia shipping deal with Turkey’s backing

ASAP Agri has denied reports that Ukraine and Russia have reached an agreement to restore regular shipping in the Black Sea with Turkey acting as an intermediary.

ASAP Agri said market rumours had emerged about a possible deal, citing comments by Valerii Tkachov, deputy director of the Commercial Operations Department at Ukrainian Railways (Ukrzaliznytsia). The company stressed, however, that the reports were based on a misinterpretation of his comments and were speculative.

“This is a misinterpretation and speculation based on yesterday’s interview. The interview only said that farmers were slowing down agricultural sales in the hope that Turkey could help facilitate an agreement between Ukraine and Russia,” ASAP Agri said in a statement.

According to ASAP Agri, farmers are holding back from selling grain, betting that negotiations could eventually improve shipping conditions in the Black Sea, potentially as early as August.

The company stressed, however, that such a scenario remains only a possibility and has not been confirmed by any official decisions or agreements.