The Sierra Leone Razoni-flagged cargo ship, carrying Ukrainian grain, is seen in the Black Sea off Kilyos, near Istanbul, Turkey on August 3, 2022.
Mehmet Caliskan | Reuters
WASHINGTON – Moscow has suspended its participation in the Black Sea Grains Initiative, an agreement brokered earlier this year to reopen Ukrainian ports for agricultural exports.
On Saturday, Russia’s Defense Ministry said it would stop participating in retaliation for Kyiv’s “terrorist act” against Russian warships. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that the Ukrainian armed forces carried out “major air and sea strikes using drones against the ships and infrastructure of the Black Sea Fleet.” of Russia at the naval base in Sevastopol.”
Russia also said British operators helped the Ukrainian military carry out the pre-detected attack, adding that at least 15 drones were involved.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Russia was using the attack as a “false pretext” to block a “grain corridor that ensures food security for millions of people.”
“We have warned about Russian plans to destroy the Black Sea Grains Initiative,” Kuleba wrote in a tweet. “I call on all countries to demand that Russia stop the hunger games and comply with its obligations.”
Before the war, Ukraine and Russia accounted for nearly a quarter of global grain exports until these shipments were severely stalled for nearly six months.
Ukraine is usually the world’s leading producer and exporter of sunflower flour, oil and seeds, according to United States Department of Agriculture. Ukraine is also the world’s seventh largest wheat producer.
People harvest wheat in a field near the village of Zgurivka in the Kyiv region, while Russia continues its war against Ukraine. August 9, 2022.
Maxim Marusenko | Nurphoto | beautiful pictures
The Black Sea Grains Initiative, a United Nations-backed deal brokered in July, eased Russia’s naval blockade and saw the reopening of three key Ukrainian ports. The first ship left the Ukrainian port of Odesa on August 1 carrying more than 26,000 tons of corn. Since then, nearly 400 ships carrying a total of 9 million tons have left Ukrainian ports.
Of the 40 countries that received Ukrainian food from this initiative, Spain accepted the majority of agricultural products totaling 1.8 million tons.
Representatives from Ukraine, Russia, the United Nations and Turkey held talks to create the maritime corridor in Istanbul earlier this year and signed the landmark agreement in July. The deal, which is due to expire next month, has helped resolve a growing food crisis, driven in part by Russia’s war with its former Soviet neighbor.
The United Nations said in a statement that it was in contact with Russian authorities on the matter.
Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric wrote: “It is important that all parties refrain from any actions that may affect the Black Sea Grains Initiative. to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, in a statement.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said it had forwarded directives related to the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul, which oversees the export of agricultural products from Ukraine.
