Ukraine proposed to include metals in the “grain deal” for exports with Russia

The Ukrainian side proposed to expand the agreement on grain and include metals, informs The Financial Times publication, citing the country’s Minister of Economy Taras Kachka. The Kremlin reacted to this by saying that the final position on this issue has not yet been formed.

“This agreement concerns logistics, the movement of ships across the Black Sea. What’s the difference between grain and iron ore?” Kachka says.

Press Secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov said that he would not voice any position for the time being, since in order to resolve this issue, it is necessary to clarify the details. He also added that this must be resolved together with the resolution of the issue of sanctions against Russian metallurgists. “In any case, it must be understood here that the solution of such issues is impossible without direct linkage with the restrictions that apply to our producers, in this case, metal producers,” he noted (quote according to TASS).

From March 15, 2022, the European Union under the next package of sanctions due to Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine banned import of Russian metallurgical products. The black list includes rolled steel (including stainless steel), fittings, welded and seamless pipes, and tin products. For this range of products, the European market was closed to Metalloinvest, MMK, NLMK, EvrazMechel and other Russian metallurgists.

July 22 Ukraine and Turkey July 22 signed an agreement with the UN on the export of grain, as well as other food products and fertilizers from the blocked Ukrainian ports – Odessa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny. A similar agreement was signed by Russia with representatives of Turkey and the UN. The signing ceremonies were held in Istanbul at the Dolmabahce Palace in the presence of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and UN Secretary General António Guterres.

On August 2, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova warned The West from not fulfilling the second part of the “grain deal” – the removal of restrictions on the export of Russian food and fertilizers. Otherwise, the world may not receive tens of millions of tons of Russian grain, she noted.

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