MOSCOW: Russia announced on Tuesday that it saw no justification for extending the accord that permits Ukraine to export grain through the Black Sea, while simultaneously criticizing alleged hindrances to its own agricultural exports.
The Russian foreign ministry stated, “It is evident that there are no grounds for further continuation of the Black Sea Initiative, which expires on July 17.”
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine, both major grain-exporting nations, raised concerns about a global food crisis when Moscow’s warships blockaded major Ukrainian ports. In July 2022, an agreement was signed allowing Ukrainian grain exports to resume, along with a parallel memorandum on unimpeded Russian food and fertilizer exports.
“The normalization of Russian supplies of food and fertilizers to world markets, as stipulated by the Russia-UN Memorandum, has continued to deteriorate,” the ministry noted.
Russia Cites Western Sanctions Major Hurdle
Moscow attributes the problems to secondary effects of Western sanctions on shipping and insurance companies, as well as banks. Additionally, Russia has accused Ukraine of destroying a section of a pipeline used to export ammonia, a crucial component of fertilizer.
The foreign ministry also claimed that the majority of Ukrainian exports were being directed to wealthy countries, contradicting data provided by the UN and Ukraine.
Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov recently stated that 29 ships carrying 1.4 million tonnes of grain are currently blocked due to delayed inspections, holding Russia responsible for the delay. Kubrakov also reported on Twitter that Russia had halted the registration of inbound ships since June 26.
In response, Russia stated in its Tuesday statement that it would ensure the backlog of ships awaiting inspection would be cleared before the agreement expires on July 17.
The expiration of the Black Sea Initiative without an extension could have implications for Ukraine’s grain exports and global food supply chains, while the ongoing disputes over exports between Russia and Ukraine continue to strain their already tense relationship.
