MOSCOW / NEW YORK (dpa-AFX) – With the suspension of the international agreement on the export of grain from Ukraine via the Black Sea, Russia has drawn new outrage. Western governments appealed to the President on Sunday Wladimir Putinto honor the commitments of the agreement concluded in the summer. Ukraine and the US accused Moscow of using hunger as a weapon. The United Nations still sees hope of saving the agreement. A UN spokesman in New York said UN Secretary-General António Guterres was in intensive contact with the aim of reversing the suspension of the agreement concluded in July. The agreement aims to give millions of people around the world access to bread and other food.
Russia suspended its approval of exports “indefinitely” on Saturday. Moscow justified this with Ukrainian drone attacks on its Black Sea fleet on the Crimean peninsula, which Moscow has annexed in violation of international law since 2014. According to the information, the minesweeper Ivan Golubets and some port facilities were damaged in the attack in Sevastopol on Saturday morning. However, video footage purporting to show the attack suggested more ships could have been hit.
Russia officially informed UN Secretary-General Guterres about the suspension of the agreement. Because of drone strikes on Russian ships from the Black Sea protected corridor, Russia “cannot guarantee the safety of civilian ships traveling within the framework of the above-mentioned initiative,” UN ambassador Vasily Nebensia wrote. Kyiv considers this a pretext.
According to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko, Russia is expecting talks with the United Nations and Turkey on the grain agreement in the next few days. But before Russia could return to the agreement, the drone attack on the Black Sea Fleet had to be cleared up.
million tons of grain for the world market
The deal, brokered by Turkey and the UN in July, ended months of blockades on Ukrainian grain exports as a result of Russia’s war of aggression. As of October 24, the coordination center in Istanbul registered the passage of 383 ships with more than 8.6 million tons of grain and other food. This is not only important for the diet in many other countries – also for the household in Ukraine. Ultimately, the Ukrainian farmers should be able to sow new seeds from the billions in revenue.
The agreement was originally due to expire on November 19 – but would have been automatically extended if neither side had objected. Moscow has recently repeatedly criticized the agreement because it sees its own grain and fertilizer exports slowed down as a result of the sanctions imposed by the West.
Baerbock: Hunger in Niger or Lebanon must not depend on Putin
The EU urged Moscow to reverse the decision. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also requested this. “Millions of people are starving in the world, and Russia is again making the safety of grain ships available. This has to stop,” said the Green politician. “Whether families in Lebanon, Niger or Bangladesh can pay for their next meal must not depend on the Russian president’s war plans.”
Zelenskyj: The Kremlin decides on hunger in the world
Moscow is aggravating world hunger with its actions, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Since September, Russia has been delaying joint inspections of ships before they pass through the Bosphorus. There, 176 ships with around two million tons of grain were stuck in traffic. On Sunday, for the first time since transports resumed in August, not a single ship departed.
Kyiv on Moscow’s offer to negotiate: First withdrawal of all troops
After repeated offers from Moscow to negotiate, Kyiv named a complete Russian troop withdrawal as a prerequisite. “The only realistic proposal should be an immediate end to the Russian war against Ukraine and the withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukrainian territory,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko said in Kyiv. He was responding to recent statements by Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who reiterated an offer from Putin to negotiate.
Despite the fighting that has been going on for more than eight months, both sides again exchanged 50 prisoners of war each. Since the beginning of the war, more than 1,000 Ukrainian prisoners have been brought home, Zelensky said.
USA: Russia uses food as a weapon of war
US President Joe Biden warned that Russia’s actions will only increase world hunger. Foreign Minister Antony Blinken declared: “Russia is once again using food as a weapon.” Federal Minister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir (Greens) said that unfortunately it was to be expected that Russia would abuse the agreement as a “means of pressure”.
Slovenia supplies tanks to Ukraine
Slovenia meanwhile handed over 28 Soviet M-55S main battle tanks to Ukraine. This was reported by the news portal “24ur.com”, citing the Ministry of Defence. The EU and NATO partner country Slovenia will now receive 43 heavy military trucks from Germany as part of a so-called ring exchange. Under such agreements, Central and Eastern European allies deliver Soviet-made weapons to the Ukraine in exchange for modern military equipment. Slovenia had already delivered 35 armored personnel carriers to Ukraine in July.
Germany handed over 16 power generators as civil aid, according to the German embassy in Kyiv. Ukraine’s power grid is suffering major damage due to ongoing Russian airstrikes. There are repeated power cuts across the country in order to save energy and stabilize the grid. According to Zelenskyj, four million Ukrainians are currently living with restrictions./jbz/DP/mis