The Kremlin warned on Tuesday that talks to extend the agreement allowing the export of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea are in jeopardy, while Ukrainian authorities at the port of Odessa accuse Moscow of sabotage.
Kremlin spokesman Dimitri Peskov, quoted by the Interfax news agency, said there is a deadlock as talks continue “to no avail”.
“Russia’s position is known. The agreement has already been extended for two months, but the window is closing. The terms of the agreement have not been fully respected regarding issues related to the Russian agricultural sector, but the dialogue will continue”he claimed.
Peskov gave no further details about the next meeting to address the issue.
“I can’t say anything about the time or place. Contacts are continuing, but no result yet”the Russian spokesman insisted.
The Black Sea Grains Agreement is an initiative signed last summer between Russia and Ukraine, brokered by the UN and Turkey, that aims to remove grain and food that has been blocked in Ukrainian ports since the Russian invasion in February 2022.
In addition to the grain agreement, a memorandum has also been signed to facilitate Russian exports of food and fertilizers, but Moscow says it is not being adhered to.
Russia has even admitted that it will not renew the agreement – which expires on May 18 – if progress is not made in meeting these commitments, including the removal of barriers to the export of agricultural products and the return to the Swift international banking system of the Russian agricultural bank Rosselkhozbank.
A representative of the military authority of the Ukrainian port of Odessa, blockaded by Russian forces in the Black Sea, today accused Moscow of “openly sabotaging” the agreement, sparking a row of ships in the Bosphorus.
“We know that the Russian Federation is openly sabotaging the operation of the ‘Grain Agreement'”Serhii Bratchuk, head of the Civil Council of the Odessa Provincial Military Authority, said at a news conference.
Bratchuk explained that the alleged sabotage by Russia – which Kiev accuses of delaying inspections of ships using the grain corridor to prevent them from entering Ukrainian grain – is causing delays for ships loading at Odessa, Ukraine’s main port.
Russia showed reluctance to extend this agreement – which took place in March and for a period of more than 60 days – which allows the departure of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea, whose waters have been guaranteed since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. that Kiev used the grain corridor for military purposes.
Ukraine finds this accusation absurd and accuses Russia of blackmailing the international community with world food security.
Source: DN
