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Russia backs out of Black Sea grain deal

Moscow, Feb 21 (ANI): Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses the Federal Assembly (Russia's two-chamber Parliament), in Moscow on Tuesday. (ANI Photo)

The spokesman clarified that termination of the deal was not connected to the unspecified emergency incident at the Kerch bridge…reports Asian Lite News

Russia has terminated its participation in the Black Sea grain export deal as part of the agreement concerning Moscow has not been fulfilled, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced on Monday.

“The Black Sea agreements are no longer in effect. The deadline, as the Russian President said earlier, is July 17. Unfortunately, the part of the Black Sea agreement that concerns Russia has not yet been fulfilled. As a result, it has been terminated,” the state-run TASS News Agency quoted Peskov as saying.

The spokesman also clarified that termination of the deal was not connected to the unspecified emergency incident at the Kerch bridge that connected mainland Russia to the occupied Crimean Peninsula earlier on Monday, that led to the deaths of two people, while one other person was injured.

“The position of Russia on the suspension of participation in the grain deal was announced before the terrorist act on the Crimean bridge today and this attack does not influence Moscow’s decision at all.

“These events are absolutely unrelated to each other. Russian President Vladimir Putin stated the position (of Moscow on the grain deal) even before this terrorist attack,” Peskov added.

Amid Moscow’s ongoing invasion of Kiev, Russia and Ukraine signed separately with Turkey and the UN the Black Sea Grain Initiative in Istanbul in July 2022, which allows the export of Ukrainian grain and other agricultural products from Black Sea ports.

The initiative, initially in effect for 120 days, was extended in mid-November 2022 for another 120 days till March 18, 2023.

At that point, Russia only agreed to extend the deal for 60 days.

On May 17, Russia agreed to extend the deal for another 60 days.

As a parallel agreement, Russia and the UN signed a memorandum of understanding on the facilitation of Russian food and fertilizer exports.

However, little progress had been made on this part of the deal, prompting dissatisfaction from Russia and finally the termination announcement on Monday. 

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Russia signals intention to pull out of Black Sea grain deal

The initial agreement lasted for 120 days, but was extended several times since then. It’s now set to expire on July 17…reports Asian Lite News

The deal allowing Ukrainian grain to be exported via the Black Sea has “no chance” of being extended, after it lapses in mid July, as things stand at the moment, a top Russian official said on Sunday.

Russia has “shown goodwill several times, made concessions” and extended the agreement, but what was promised to Moscow as part of the deal still hasn’t been fulfilled, Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with Izvestia newspaper, RT reported.

“It’s hardly possible to predict some sort of a final decision here, but we can only state that – judging de facto by the status that we now have – this deal has no chance.

“The deal implies deeds; deeds on the part of the contracting states or organisations. And one part of this deal was done, and the second part, which related to (promises made to) Russia, was never done,” he contended.

The deal, brokered by the UN and Turkey, was signed in July 2022 and provided for the safe shipment of Ukrainian grain though Black Sea corridors in exchange for the US and EU removing obstacles to exports of Russian food products and fertilisers. The West has claimed that it never restricted those items, but Moscow has argued that it still couldn’t supply them to foreign buyers due to shipping, insurance and brokerage sanctions, which were imposed on Moscow over its conflict with Kiev.

The initial agreement lasted for 120 days, but was extended several times since then. It’s now set to expire on July 17.

Speaking to a delegation of African leaders in St. Petersburg on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that “the supply of Ukrainian grain to world markets doesn’t solve the problems of African countries in need of food”.

Despite the West promising that the deal would help the poorest nations, only 3.1 per cent of the shipments of Ukrainian grain have ended up in Africa, with 38.9 per cent of them going to the EU, he said.

Earlier this week, Putin said Moscow “was thinking about exiting this grain deal” because nothing had been done to facilitate Russia’s food and fertiliser exports. He also said safety corridors in the Black Sea had been used by Ukraine to launch naval drones.

ALSO READ-UN chief welcomes Russian decision to extend Black Sea grain deal

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UN confirms extension of Black Sea grain deal

The deal, initially in effect for 120 days, was extended in mid-November 2022 for another 120 days to March 18….reports Asian Lite News

A United Nations spokesperson has confirmed the extension of a deal allowing exports of grain, related foodstuffs and fertilisers from designated Ukrainian seaports.

“The Black Sea Grain Initiative, signed in Istanbul on 22 July 2022, has been extended,” Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said in a statement.

On July 22, 2022, Russia and Ukraine separately signed a document in Istanbul with Turkey and the United Nations on grain and fertiliser exports from Ukraine and Russia to ensure supplies to global markets amid the Russia-Ukraine armed conflict.

The deal, initially in effect for 120 days, was extended in mid-November 2022 for another 120 days to March 18.

“We express our gratitude to the government of Turkey for the diplomatic and operational support to the Black Sea Grain Initiative,” Dujarric said in the statement.

During the first two terms of the initiative, some 25 million metric tons of grain and foodstuffs have been moved to 45 countries, helping to bring down global food prices and stabilising the markets, he said.

Russia and the United Nations also signed a parallel memorandum of understanding in July 2022 to facilitate unimpeded exports of Russian food and fertiliser.

Dujarric noted that the Black Sea Grain Initiative, alongside the agreement with Russia, “are critical for global food security, especially for developing countries”.

“We remain strongly committed to both agreements and we urge all sides to redouble their efforts to implement them fully,” he said.

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