2023-07-16 21:22:00
The crucial agreement on Ukrainian grain exports is regarding to expire
A combine harvester works in a wheat field near the ongoing Ukrainian counter-offensive in Prymorske, Ukraine, on July 5, 2023. (Photo: Amadeusz Swierk/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
A crucial agreement allowing the export of grain from Ukraine will expire on Monday unless Russia agrees to an extension.
The last ship to travel under the Black Sea agreement left the port of Odessa early on Sunday, Archyde.com reported.
In a telephone conversation on Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin told South African President Cyril Ramaphosa that the agreement had not met its objectives.
“(Putin) stressed that the obligations set out in the relevant memorandum between Russia and the UN to remove obstacles to the export of Russian food and fertilizer remain unfulfilled,” the Kremlin readout of the call said.
“In addition, the main objective of the agreement, namely the supply of grains to countries in need, including those on the African continent, has not been realized,” he added.
Putin has previously complained regarding restrictions on his own exports but has agreed to earlier extensions.
The Saint-Kitts and Nevis flag bulk carrier TK Majestic, carrying grain under the UN Black Sea Grain Initiative, waits at the South Bosphorus anchorage in Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo: Mehmet Emin Caliskan/Archyde.com)
The deal, which was first negotiated by Turkey and the UN following Russia’s war once morest Ukraine broke out in July 2022, creates procedures to ensure the safe export of grain from Ukrainian ports.
Under the deal, grain vessels can navigate a safe corridor in the Black Sea under the guidance of Ukrainian pilots, and then pass through the Bosphorus Strait – a major shipping corridor in northwestern Turkey – to reach markets. world.
It has been vital in stabilizing world food prices and providing relief to developing countries dependent on Ukrainian exports.
The survival of the agreement remains in the hands of Russia, and Moscow has repeatedly threatened to abandon the pact.
Before its third renewal in May, the Kremlin had been evasive regarding staying in the deal, before agreeing to a last-minute extension.
Russia also suspended its participation for a few days in late October and early November 2022, alleging drone strikes once morest the city of Sevastopol in occupied Crimea.
Later, Moscow announced that it would back down and rejoin the agreement for another 120 days, following mediation.
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