Russia Withdraws from Ukraine Grain Deal.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declared on Monday that the previously established agreements regarding the grain deal between Russia and Ukraine had effectively ended.
The contract encompassed the passage of cargo ships through the Black Sea, specifically from the ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Yuzhny/Pivdennyi. However, Moscow stipulated that it would be willing to re-engage in the agreement if certain conditions were met.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had consistently voiced discontent over portions of the agreement pertaining to exporting Russian food and fertilizers, claiming that these provisions had not been upheld.
Notably, Putin emphasized that the supply of grain to impoverished nations, a prerequisite of the agreement, had yet to be fulfilled.
Russia also lodged repeated complaints regarding the constraining impact of Western sanctions on its agricultural exports. Putin, on multiple occasions, issued threats to withdraw from the agreement.
On Monday, the Russian Foreign Ministry reiterated these grievances, accusing the West of engaging in “open sabotage” and prioritizing their commercial interests over the humanitarian goals of the deal.
Conversely, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his belief that Putin desired to continue the agreement and indicated that they would discuss its renewal during their upcoming in-person meeting scheduled for next month.
The grain deal holds significant importance due to Ukraine’s prominent position as one of the world’s most giant sunflower, maize, wheat, and barley exporters.
However, following Russia’s invasion in February 2022, naval vessels blockaded Ukrainian ports, resulting in the entrapment of approximately 20 million tonnes of grain.
This blockade had severe consequences, leading to a dramatic surge in global food prices and threatening the food supplies of numerous Middle Eastern and African nations heavily reliant on Ukrainian grain.
After months of negotiations and mediation involving the United Nations and Turkey, an agreement was ultimately brokered in July of the previous year.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized his country’s intention to continue exporting grain, underscoring that the agreement comprised two parallel deals—one signed by Ukraine and the other by Russia.
In response to Russia’s recent decision to withdraw from the deal, President Zelensky expressed resilience, stating that Ukraine was not afraid of the repercussions.
He revealed that various companies that owned vessels had approached Ukraine, expressing their willingness to continue shipping grain if Ukraine allowed them entry and if Turkey provided passage through their territory.
Mykhaylo Podolyak, an advisor to President Zelensky, put forth the idea of establishing an international armed patrol force to accompany and safeguard ships transporting grain from Ukraine.
This proposal aims to ensure the safety and security of the grain shipments, potentially mitigating the risks posed by the ongoing conflict and geopolitical tensions in the region.
Despite recognizing the potential challenges in finding countries willing to establish patrols, Mykhaylo Podolyak acknowledged the difficulty in achieving such a solution.
The decision by Russia to not renew the Ukraine grain deal stems from several factors, including bottlenecks in alternative routes for exporting Ukrainian grain. Nikolay Gorbachev, the president of the Ukrainian Grain Association, disclosed that his members had identified alternative methods of exporting grain, such as utilizing the country’s Danube River ports.
However, he conceded that these ports would be less efficient, reducing grain export capacity and increasing transportation costs.
The announcement by the Kremlin drew swift condemnation from Western leaders. Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, characterized Russia’s decision as a “cynical move,” emphasizing that Brussels was actively striving to ensure food security for vulnerable populations worldwide.
The US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, labelled the move as an “act of cruelty.” Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed the organization’s commitment to finding solutions to mitigate the inevitable rise in human suffering resulting from Russia’s decision, underscoring the high stakes in addressing hunger and distress globally.
Significantly, the Kremlin’s announcement coincided with an attack on a bridge in Crimea, resulting in two civilian deaths.
While Ukraine has not officially claimed responsibility for the attack, a source within the country’s security service informed BBC Russian that Ukraine was behind the incident.
Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, asserted that Russia’s decision to allow the grain deal to expire was unrelated to the attack, stating that President Putin had already declared his position before the incident occurred.
