Putin: Russia is ready to transfer fertilizers to developing countries free of charge

President Vladimir Putin at a meeting with permanent members of the Security Council said that Russia had supplied 7 million tons of fertilizers to other countries in four months of 2022. According to the president, Russian producers are ready to transfer their potash fertilizers accumulated in European ports to developing countries free of charge. The head of state called discrimination against developing countries in access to fertilizers unacceptable.

“Over the four months of this year, Russia has supplied abroad 7 million tons of fertilizers, these are potash, nitrogen, mixed fertilizers. Of these, about 3 million tons – to the countries of Asia, Africa, Latin America. That is, almost half,” said Mr. Putin (quoted from TASS). He noted that Russia “is ready to supply ammonia somewhere in the amount of 2 million tons.”

Mr. Putin recalled that the European Commission had unblocked the supply of Russian fertilizers, but on August 10, an explanation was issued by the European Commission according to which only EU countries can buy Russian fertilizers. “And the supply of our fertilizers, as well as Belarusian ones, through the ports of European countries to the same developing countries – to the markets of Asia, Africa, Latin America – is still prohibited, impossible,” the president said. He called such discrimination against developing countries unacceptable.

Due to restrictions, as the president said, a large amount of fertilizer has accumulated in European ports. “Our producers – I think this is primarily about potash fertilizers – are ready to transfer them free of charge to developing countries that are in dire need of these fertilizers,” Vladimir Putin said and asked the Foreign Ministry to work on this issue.

July 22 in Istanbul were officially agreements were drawn up on the creation of a corridor for the export of Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea. In Kyiv, they announced that they would be able to quickly export about 20 million tons of grain. Monitoring compliance with the agreements is carried out by a quadripartite coordination center established in Turkey. Russia, in exchange for the unblocking of Ukrainian ports, was to be able to freely export grain and fertilizers.

The other day, Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya declaredthat Russian ships cannot supply food to international markets. According to the permanent representative, because of this, Russia may not extend the grain deal when it ends in November. Vladimir Putin also said that he could revise the terms of the European deal.

Read more in the publication “b FM” “The Grain Deal is crumbling”.

Maria Fedotova