Russia hands over note on grain deal to Ukraine

The Russian Embassy in Belarus, through diplomatic channels, handed over to Kyiv a note with Moscow’s position on the grain deal. This was reported in the diplomatic department.

“The document, in particular, says that the Russian Federation officially objects to the further extension of the initiative for the safe transportation of grain and food from the ports of Ukraine after its expiration date, and therefore the implementation of the initiative should be completely terminated from July 18 of this year,” – reported in the diplomatic mission with reference to the commentary of Ambassador Boris Gryzlov.

Gryzlov recalled that Russia has repeatedly pointed out that the deal has lost its humanitarian function and only 3% of the grain exported from Ukraine ended up in the poorest countries, most of it settled “in a well-fed and prosperous Europe.”

The West was not going to fulfill the obligations regarding the Russian part of the deal, the ambassador stressed. He recalled that a serious blow to the very concept of the Black Sea initiative, of which ammonia supplies were an integral part, was caused by the explosion of the Togliatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline. He also said that the deal was also affected by terrorist attacks against the infrastructure of the Crimea, for which sea corridors open for the export of grain were used.

Gryzlov said that the termination of the initiative lies entirely on the conscience of the collective West.

July 17, Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov declaredthat, in fact, the Black Sea agreements 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. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova clarifiedthat Moscow has notified the UN, Turkey and Ukraine of its objection to the extension of the deal.

The Kremlin has repeatedly said it sees no reason to extend the grain deal until Russian conditions are met. On July 13, President Vladimir Putin, in an interview with VGTRK journalist Pavel Zarubin, said that Moscow could suspend participation in the grain deal until all obligations to Russia were fulfilled.

The 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. The Ukrainian part of the deal implies the unhindered export of grain from the ports of Odessa, Yuzhny and Chernomorsk, the Russian part – easing restrictions on the export of Russian agricultural products and fertilizers.