On Tuesday, the Russian foreign ministry stated that Russia does not see any justification for renewing the Black Sea grain deal, less than two weeks before the agreement’s expiration. The deal has allowed Ukraine to export grain from its Black Sea ports despite the ongoing war.
According to the ministry’s statement, Russia is taking all necessary measures to facilitate the departure of all ships covered by the deal from the Black Sea.
The grain deal is set to expire on July 17.
Russia has long threatened to withdraw from the agreement, citing unfulfilled promises to remove barriers to its own grain and fertilizer exports.
In mid-May, Russia agreed to a two-month renewal of the deal. However, since then, it has repeatedly expressed its view that there is no basis for extending the agreement further.
The foreign ministry’s statement criticized the Black Sea initiative for delivering Ukrainian grain to “well-fed” countries while failing to assist those in need in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. It pointed out that the five poorest countries, namely Ethiopia, Yemen, Afghanistan, Sudan, and Somalia, received only 2.6% of the shipped grain, while the situation regarding Russian grain and fertilizer exports continued to worsen.
Given these circumstances, the ministry concluded that there are no grounds to continue the Black Sea Initiative beyond its expiration date on July 17.
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine disrupted grain shipments through the Black Sea, jeopardizing global food supplies. The initial grain deal was brokered by the United Nations and Turkey to ensure safe passage for these shipments.
Russia has stated that it has seen no progress on its demands, which include reconnecting its state agricultural bank to the international payments system SWIFT. The reported EU proposal to create a subsidiary of the bank that could be admitted to SWIFT was deemed “unworkable” by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.
Post Your Comments