Ukraine has called on the international community to demand that Russia immediately stop hindering Ukrainian grain exports and using food as a weapon.
Ukraine is “deeply concerned about subversive actions” by Russia, which it says are hindering a deal to enable grain shipments to world markets through the Black Sea, according to a joint statement to Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov on Wednesday.
“We call upon the international community, in particular the United Nations and [Turkey] To demand from the Russian Federation, as the guarantor of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, to immediately stop the delay in the work of the Black Sea Grain Corridor, to stop Russia’s attempts to use food as a weapon and to stop the Ukrainian Black Sea ports to unblock commercial navigation,” the two ministers said.
The Black Sea grain deal, brokered last July by the United Nations and Turkey, ended a de facto blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports after Russia’s invasion last February to ease supply shortages and rising international food prices. Helps in reducing the pressure.
Since then, however, Russia has repeatedly said it is not seeing the benefits of its side of the bargain because the Kremlin sees “hidden” Western sanctions hindering its food and fertilizer exports. in spite of russia Threat to get out of the deal, it was last November extended By 19 March.
Ukraine responded that Russia was deliberately slowing down the grain agreement by extending inspection periods for ships headed to its Black Sea ports.
According to the statement, more than 140 ships are queuing up in Turkey’s strategic Bosphorus strait — through which Ukrainian grain cargoes must pass to reach global markets — because of inspection delays by Russia. “The food security of countries dependent on the export of Ukrainian agricultural products is under threat,” it added.
Russia denied similar allegations from Kiev in October.
Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin cast doubt on the future of the Black Sea grain deal when he Said Russian media said on Monday that it would be “unreasonable” to extend the agreement until sanctions affecting Russian agricultural exports are lifted.