Russian President Vladimir Putin has ruled that Ukrainian grain should go “priority” to the countries that need it most, during a telephone conversation Wednesday with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
During these discussions, “the main focus was on the implementation of the Istanbul agreements on the export of Ukrainian grains (…). Both sides stressed the importance of prioritizing those in Africa, the Middle East and Latin America who need food. the Kremlin said in a statement.
Last week, Vladimir Putin assured that “almost all the grain exported from Ukraine is not sent to developing countries and the poorest countries”
Russian exports “at a much lower level than desired and necessary”
On July 22, two agreements were signed under the auspices of the UN to allow, on the one hand, Ukrainian grain exports blocked by the war and, on the other, Russian food and fertilizer exports. While the first deal took nearly 3 million tons of grain out of Ukraine, Russia says its own food and fertilizer exports continue to suffer from Western sanctions against Moscow for its military intervention in Ukraine.
“There are Russian food and fertilizer exports, but at a much lower level than desired and necessary,” Antonio Guterres acknowledged Wednesday, noting that he had discussed with Vladimir Putin “the obstacles that still exist” for these exports. “There are discussions about the possibility of Russia exporting ammonia through the Black Sea,” he said.
Ammonia, which is used to produce nitrogenous fertilizers, is produced by combining nitrogen from the air and hydrogen from natural gas. Several European fertilizer manufacturers have stopped production due to rising gas prices. “The situation of fertilizers in the world is dramatic,” insisted Antonio Guterres, repeating his fear of a lack of food in the world in 2023.
Source: BFM TV
