Russia is pulling out of the UN-brokered Black Sea Initiative, which allowed millions of tonnes of grain and other foodstuffs to leave Ukraine’s ports despite the ongoing war.
Without an extension, the agreement (co-signed by Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine) which would have celebrated its one-year anniversary on July 22nd, was to expire on Monday evening.
For now, it will not be renewed, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “Unfortunately, the part of the Black Sea agreement that concerns Russia has not yet been fulfilled. As a result, it has been terminated,” he said, adding that “as soon as the Russian part [of the deal] is fulfilled, the Russian side will immediately return to the implementation of this deal.”
On multiple occasions, Russia threatened to quit the initiative because its demands to lift sanctions on Russia’s logistical and financial sectors, which hamstrung its grain and fertilizer exports, had not been met.
Asked whether this morning’s attack on the Kerch bridge, which connects the Crimean peninsula and Russia, influenced the Kremlin’s decision, Peskov replied that Russia’s suspension of the grain deal was announced before what Moscow labels a ‘terrorist act.’
At the time of writing, neither the UN nor Kyiv had issued a response.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned “Russia’s cynical move,” as she promised that the EU would continue “working to ensure food security for the world’s vulnerable.”
In mid-November last year, the agreement saw its first four-month extension. After previous extensions, in May, the agreement was extended by another 60 days.
Ukraine and Russia are both major global suppliers of wheat, barley, sunflower oil, and other affordable food products that developing nations rely on.
Often labeled ‘the world’s bread basket,’ Ukraine’s food exports in particular are considered a necessity.
