EU urges to resume grain deal

The European Union condemned Moscow’s decision to terminate the grain deal and called for it to be resumed as soon as possible. This is stated in statement EU Delegations in Russia.

“The EU unequivocally condemns Russia’s decision to terminate the Black Sea Grain Initiative. <...> The EU calls on Russia to reconsider its decision and immediately resume the implementation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative. The representative office reported that the implementation of the grain deal made it possible to arrange the supply of 33 million tons of grain and food to 45 countries of the world. They specified that a significant part of the grain, namely 725,000 tons, was sent to Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Somalia and Yemen. In connection with the suspension of the deal, the EU held Russia responsible for “interruptions in the supply of grain around the world and the global rise in food prices.”

The representative office reported that the implementation of the grain deal made it possible to arrange the supply of 33 million tons of grain and food to 45 countries of the world. They specified that a significant part of the grain, namely 725,000 tons, was sent to Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Somalia and Yemen. In connection with the suspension of the deal, the EU held Russia responsible for “interruptions in the supply of grain around the world and the global rise in food prices.”

On July 17, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the Black Sea agreements had in fact ceased to be valid today. He stressed that since the Russian part of the deal is not being implemented, its effect is terminated. Moscow is ready to return to the implementation of the agreements as soon as its conditions are met. State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin cited data showing that only 2.51% of food was delivered to the poorest countries as part of the implementation of the Black Sea initiative. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Moscow had notified the UN, Turkey and Ukraine of its objection to the extension of the deal.

The grain deal was concluded on July 22, 2022 by representatives of Turkey and the UN, on the one hand, and representatives of Russia and Ukraine, on the other. Separate agreements were concluded with Moscow and Kiev: the first was for the export of Ukrainian grain from three ports, including Odessa, Yuzhny and Chernomorsk, and the second was for assistance in the export of Russian grain and fertilizers. Moscow has repeatedly noted that the second part of the deal is not being implemented.