With the deadline for the grain deal approaching tonight, Russia has announced that it will not opt for an extension of the agreement. The deal allowed grain from Ukraine to be shipped across the Black Sea to countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, despite the war. The Kremlin will only go back on the agreement if Russia’s conditions are met, it sounds.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced the news in a meeting with reporters. Russia also officially informed Turkey, Ukraine and the United Nations that it was against an extension of the agreement. The country is only willing to go back on the grain deal after Russia’s demands are met, Peskov said.
The country especially wants the West to lift sanctions that would prevent the export of grain and fertilizer by Russia. According to Washington, the complaint is not justified, because the export of Russian grain has not shrunk, but is increasing in size. Ukraine and Russia are two of the largest grain exporters in the world.
The Russian food exporters themselves are not part of Western sanctions, but experience the punitive measures as trade obstacles. For example, because Russian banks are no longer connected to the international SWIFT payment system, it would be more difficult for agricultural companies to trade. According to the Reuters news agency, the European Union is therefore considering allowing Rosselkhozbank (the Agriculture Bank) back into SWIFT.
“Already decided for attack on the Crimean bridge”
The latest Ukrainian attack on the Crimean Bridge, which connects occupied Crimea to mainland Russia, has not influenced the decision, Peskov said. “These are absolutely unrelated events,” he said. “Even before this terrorist attack, the position was already announced by President Putin.”
The grain agreement reached last summer between Russia and Ukraine after mediation by Turkey and the UN has been extended three times so far. The UN hoped it would happen again before it ends at 11 p.m. today. The deal helped stabilize global food prices and brought relief to countries dependent on Ukrainian exports.
LOOK. Russia has long threatened to end the grain deal. At the end of last year, the country also decided not to participate anymore after “massive drone attacks” on ships in Crimea.
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