Despite his warning that any agreement on allowing shipments of goods, such as cereals, was still far from being reached, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expected progress on the food crisis.

Russia's military operation in Ukraine has fuelled a global food crisis by raising the price of cereals, cooking oils, fuel and fertilizer. Together, the two countries produce about one third of the world's wheat supply, and Russia is a major supplier of fertilizer and Ukraine is a major supplier of corn and sunflower oil.

"I think there is progress, but we are not yet resolved," Guterres said at a press conference with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Anderson in Stockholm. These are complicated and the fact that all things are intertwined makes negotiations more difficult ".

With Russia's control or de facto closure of all of Ukraine's ports on the Black Sea, grain shipments from Ukraine have been halted since the start of the Russian military operation on 24 February. Moscow blames Western sanctions for disrupting exports of grain and fertilizer.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, who visited Moscow and Kyiv earlier this year, is trying to broker what he described as a comprehensive agreement to resume exports of Ukrainian food and Russian food and fertilizer as part of the United Nations' efforts to alleviate the crisis.

The UN Secretary-General said: "We have two UN teams - led by Martin Griffiths and Rebecca Greenspan - to help conclude a comprehensive deal involving the safe export of food produced in Ukraine through the Black Sea, along with unhindered access of Russian food and fertilizer to global markets, especially developing countries.

As we speak, the two groups visit relevant capitals to facilitate the search for agreed solutions. "

Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier this week that Russia was ready to facilitate Ukraine's wheat exports through the Black Sea, as well as Russian fertilizer shipments if sanctions were eased.