Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that while his country is "ready" to sit down and discuss the issue, it's the Ukrainian side that's remained recalcitrant on the issue by refusing to demine the ports.

Lavrov issued the statements following Wednesday's meeting with his Turkish counterpart FM Mevlut Cavusoglu in Istanbul Wednesday. "About additional meetings in Istanbul [on the issue of grain exports]: we are ready for such meetings. We appreciate the UN's interest in getting involved in some way, marking its presence, but, frankly, it would be nothing but symbolic," Lavrov said.

Instead, the top Russian diplomat stressed all that is needed to solve this problem is for "the Ukrainians to let ships leave their ports by either demining or identifying safe corridors," he said according to TASS. "Nothing else is required."