President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia is contemplating withdrawing from the Black Sea grain deal due to the failure of the West to fulfill its promises regarding Russian agricultural exports to global markets.
“We are thinking about getting out of this grain deal now,” Putin stated during a meeting with Russian war correspondents and military bloggers. “Unfortunately, we were once again cheated – nothing was done in terms of liberalizing the supply of our grain to foreign markets. There were a lot of conditions that the Westerners had to fulfill under the leadership of the U.N. Nothing has been done.”
The Black Sea Grain Initiative, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey in July last year, aimed to help address a global food crisis exacerbated by the conflict in Europe. As part of the agreement, U.N. officials were supposed to assist Russia in its own food and fertilizer exports. However, Putin claimed that this commitment was not honored.
Western sanctions imposed on Russia over its war in Ukraine have created obstacles for Russian grain and fertilizer exports, despite these sectors not being sanctioned. While some progress has been made in facilitating Russian exports, there are still hurdles to overcome, according to U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
The United States urged Russia to cease threatening global food supplies and ensure the continuity of the grain and food exports corridor. Meanwhile, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concern over Russia’s potential withdrawal from the grain deal and emphasized the need to maintain the initiative.
Putin made it clear that Russia is considering ending its participation in the grain deal and plans to discuss its future with African leaders visiting Russia. He also mentioned Russia’s willingness to supply grain to the world’s poorest countries free of charge. The United Nations has emphasized that the Black Sea grain deal is primarily a commercial enterprise aimed at stabilizing global food prices.
The current deal is set to expire on July 17, unless Russia agrees to an extension. Russia has specified several demands, including the reconnection of Russian Agricultural Bank to the SWIFT payment system, the resumption of agricultural machinery and parts supplies, the lifting of insurance and reinsurance restrictions, and the reopening of the Togliatti-Odesa ammonia pipeline. Russia also seeks the unblocking of assets and accounts of companies involved in food and fertilizer exports.
{Matzav.com}
