2023-07-22 08:22:13
In the UN Security Council, several countries – including China – have urged Russia to return to the grain agreement. The US warned of a possible attack on civilian ships in the Black Sea.
In the United Nations Security Council, Russia has been put under pressure by its ally China, developing countries and Western countries to avert a global food crisis. The Ukrainian grain deliveries must be made possible once more quickly, it said. China’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Geng Shuang called for grain and fertilizer exports from Russia and Ukraine to resume soon.
The government in Beijing hopes that those affected will work with the relevant UN bodies to find a balanced solution to the legitimate concerns of all parties, Geng said at the meeting in New York, according to a report by Chinese state television. This is necessary to ensure international food security. Geng referred to UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ pledge to do everything possible to ensure that both Ukrainian grain and Russian food and fertilizers reach world markets.
Russia let the international grain agreement expire on Monday despite many international appeals. Since then, there have been repeated Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities on the Black Sea. The United Nations has also repeatedly campaigned for the agreement to be reinstated. It is feared that famines in poorer countries will otherwise become even greater.
Humanitarian crisis should be prevented
Several developing countries have warned of the impact of the halt to Ukrainian grain supplies, which has already caused wheat prices to spike. Gabonese Ambassador to the UN Michel Biang said the grain deal has prevented grain prices from rising and alleviated the risk of food insecurity in the drought-hit Horn of Africa and other regions. He called for talks to avoid a humanitarian crisis.
Mozambique’s ambassador to the UN, Pedro Afonso, said Russia’s actions will “certainly increase global socio-economic tensions in a world already grappling with a perfect storm of conflict, climate change” and a loss of confidence in multilateral solutions.
US warns of attack by civilian ships
Russia has also been criticized by the United Nations and Council members for attacking Ukrainian ports and destroying port infrastructure following withdrawing from the grain deal signed a year ago – in violation of international law, which bans attacks on civilian infrastructure. In response to Russia declaring large areas of the Black Sea dangerous for shipping, the UN warned that a military incident at sea might have “catastrophic consequences”.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the Council that the US had information that Russia had laid additional sea mines in the approaches to Ukrainian ports and that the Russian military might attack civilian ships in the Black Sea “and blame Ukraine for these attacks”.
Erdogan wants to convince Putin once more
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke by phone with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday evening regarding a possible return to the agreement to ship grain across the Black Sea. “The opening of the grain corridor has absolute priority,” said Zelenskyj following the phone call. “Together we must prevent a global food crisis.”
After the agreement expired on Monday, there was effectively a new naval blockade. Russia has stripped grain carriers of safety guarantees in the Black Sea regions under its control. “Because of Russia’s actions, the world is once more on the brink of a food crisis,” Zelenskyy said. “A total of 400 million people in many countries in Africa and Asia are at risk of starvation.”
Erdogan expressed confidence in being able to convince Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin to resume the grain agreement. According to the Anadolu news agency, Erdogan said that he thinks that he can continue grain exports in “detailed” talks with Putin.
Russia sees the UN’s turn
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Werschinin sees the United Nations as having a say in a possible new grain agreement. “The ball is – as is sometimes said now – on the side of our partners with whom we worked. We are now waiting for a reaction from them,” said Vershinin.
The deputy minister stressed that as part of the grain deal, a memorandum with a validity of three years was signed, which contains Russia’s conditions for the deal. Russia is asking the West to relax sanctions so that it can sell its own grain and fertilizer more easily on the world market.
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