MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin voiced his disappointment on Saturday, stating that the main objective of the deal allowing Ukrainian grain exports was not achieved. During a phone call with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Putin expressed these concerns.
The agreement, which helped alleviate fears of a global food crisis sparked by the conflict in Ukraine, is set to expire on Monday unless Russia agrees to renew it.
According to a Kremlin readout, Putin remarked that the primary goal of the deal, which involved supplying grain to countries in need, including those in Africa, was not fulfilled. The agreement also included a memorandum on unhindered Russian food and fertilizer exports.
Russia Threatens to Withdraw from Grain Deal
However, Russia claims that obstacles to its own exports still persist and has threatened to withdraw from the grain deal due to this issue. The Kremlin statement highlighted that the obligations outlined in the Russia-UN memorandum to eliminate barriers to the export of Russian food and fertilizers have not been met.
On Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed confidence that Putin would agree to extend the deal. However, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov did not confirm Erdogan’s claims when questioned by Russian press agencies, stating that there has been no statement from the Russian side regarding the extension.
The deal, brokered with Erdogan’s assistance, has allowed Ukraine to ship over 32 million tonnes of grain past Russian warships in the Black Sea. During their call, Ramaphosa and Putin also discussed preparations for the upcoming BRICS summit in South Africa, which the Russian leader has been invited to attend despite an International Criminal Court warrant against him.
The two heads of state talked about the Russia-Africa summit, scheduled for the end of July in Saint Petersburg, and agreed to hold bilateral talks during the event.
