Russia says Black Sea grain deal with Ukraine “has been terminated” | Tellwell Newspaper
Tellwell Newspaper, Abuja – Nigeria:
The Russian government is allowing the Black Sea grain deal to expire, saying on Monday “it has been terminated.”
The agreement, brokered by Turkey and the United Nations in July 2022, was officially set to expire at 5 p.m. ET on Monday (midnight local in Istanbul, Kyiv, and Moscow). The deal allowed Ukraine to export grain from its ports and navigate safe passage through the Black Sea, to Turkey’s Bosphorus Strait.
“Unfortunately, the part of the Black Sea agreements concerning Russia has not been implemented so far,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday. “Therefore, its deal has been terminated. As soon as the Russian part is completed, the Russian side will return to the implementation of this deal immediately.
The Russian government has formally informed Turkey, Ukraine, and the United Nations that it is allowing the deal to expire, foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told state media RIA Novosti on Monday.
When asked, Peskov denied that Russia’s decision to allow the deal to lapse was related to Ukraine’s claimed strike on the Crimean Bridge, which connects mainland Russia to the peninsula.
“These are absolutely unrelated events,” he said. “Even before this terrorist attack, the position was declared by President Putin. And I repeat again, as soon as the part of the Black Sea agreements concerning Russia is fulfilled, Russia will immediately return to the implementation of the deal.”
The Black Sea grain deal imposed measures for the safe export of grain from Ukrainian ports after Russia launched its invasion and barricaded docks in the region.
The key deal helped stabilize global food prices and brought relief to countries in the Global South that rely on Ukrainian exports.
CNN
