UN plan eyes sea corridors for Ukraine grain

     Elmau (Germany), Jun 28 (AP) The Latest on the G-7 summit, the annual meeting of the leading democratic economies, which this year is being held in the Bavarian Alps in Germany; and on the NATO summit in Madrid, where leaders begin gathering later on Tuesday.
     Italian Premier Mario Draghi says a UN plan to bring grain out of Ukraine via safe sea corridors could save as much as a month in emptying silos in time for the autumn harvest, since it doesn't require demining ports.
     Draghi said a briefing that G-7 leaders received from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the plan was “one of the most important” of the summit and was, “all in all, good news”. But he said it requires Russia's swift approval.
     Draghi said on Tuesday the key elements of the plan involve using existing safe corridors in and out of ports, ensuring cargo ships are protected by the UN from possible Russian attacks, and that the ships are then inspected to prevent weapons from arriving. Draghi said Putin had insisted on this.
     He said Russia had in principle accepted the three-part involvement in the project of Ukraine, Turkey and the UN.
     Russia's state space corporation Roscosmos marked the gathering of leaders for the NATO summit by publishing satellite images and the precise coordinates of a conference hall in Madrid where it's being held.
     It also published on its messaging app channel on Tuesday the coordinates of the White House, the Pentagon and of government headquarters in London, Paris and Berlin.
     It described them as the “decision-making centres supporting the Ukrainian nationalists” - a reference to Western nations' support for Kyiv in the face of Russia's invasion.
     The corporation noted that NATO allies were set to declare Russia an enemy at their summit in Madrid, adding that it was publishing precise coordinates “just in case”.
     Italian Premier Mario Draghi says G-7 leaders were concerned about Russian advances in eastern Ukraine but that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was optimistic about Ukraine's ability to mount a successful counterattack.
     Zelenskyy addressed the Group of Seven meeting via video link.
     “One of the things that President Zelenskyy told us was that a counter-offensive would be starting, which he was confident would succeed,” Draghi said.
     Asked about reported doubts from the White House, Draghi said: “It's not so much doubts expressed by President (Joe) Biden as concern for the Russian progress that has taken place. I can't say anything more on this.” (AP) PY
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(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)