Russia, which invaded Ukraine on February 24, suspended its role in the Black Sea deal on Saturday “indefinitely” because it could say it could not “guarantee the safety of civilian ships” traveling in the framework of the agreement after an attack on her Black. Naval fleet. The United Nations and Turkey, two key brokers of the July deal, tried on Sunday to save it. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was deeply concerned by Russia’s move and delayed a trip abroad to try to revive the deal meant to ease a global food crisis, his spokesman said. Following Russia’s move, wheat prices in international commodity markets were expected to jump on Monday, as both Russia and Ukraine are among the world’s biggest wheat exporters, analysts said. More than 9.5 million tonnes of corn, wheat, sunflower products, barley, canola and soybeans have been exported since July. Under the agreement, a Joint Coordination Center (JCC) – made up of UN, Turkish, Russian and Ukrainian officials – agrees on the movement of ships and inspects the ships. No ships crossed the established maritime humanitarian corridor on Sunday. However, the United Nations said in a statement that it had agreed with Ukraine and Turkey on a plan to move 16 ships on Monday – 12 outbound and 4 inbound. It said Russian officials at the JCC had been briefed on the plan, along with the intention to inspect 40 outbound ships on Monday, and noted that “all participants are coordinating with their respective military and other relevant authorities to ensure the safe passage of merchant ships.” under the agreement. Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has been in contact with his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts to try to save the deal and asked the parties to avoid any provocation, the Turkish Defense Ministry said. NATO and the European Union urged Russia to reconsider its decision. US President Joe Biden on Saturday called Russia’s move “purely outrageous” and said it would increase hunger. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken accused Moscow of weaponizing food. On Sunday, Russia’s ambassador to Washington hit back, saying the US response was “outrageous” and made false claims about Moscow’s move.
WRONG TIME”
The Russian Defense Ministry said Ukraine attacked the Black Sea fleet near Sevastopol early with 16 drones and that British naval “specialists” helped coordinate what it called a terrorist attack. Britain denied the claim. Russia said it repelled the attack, but that the ships targeted were involved in securing the grain corridor from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports. Ukraine has neither confirmed nor denied being behind the attack. The Ukrainian military said the Russians themselves may have been responsible for the blasts. [1/3] The Maltese-flagged bulk carrier Rojen, carrying Ukrainian grain, sails in the Bosphorus, Istanbul, Turkey August 7, 2022. REUTERS/Yoruk Isik Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Moscow used the explosions 220 kilometers away from the grain corridor as a “false pretext” for a long-term move. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s chief of staff accused Russia on Saturday of inventing attacks on its own facilities. Ukraine often accuses Russia of using its Black Sea fleet to launch cruise missiles against Ukrainian civilian targets, a charge supported by some military analysts who say it makes the fleet a legitimate military target. Russia’s invasion has recently been dominated by a Ukrainian counteroffensive and by Russian drone and missile attacks that have destroyed more than 30% of Ukraine’s manufacturing capacity and hit populated areas. Each side has accused the other of being ready to detonate radioactive bombs. Russia has asked the UN Security Council to meet on Monday to discuss the Sevastopol attack, Deputy UN Ambassador Dmitry Polyansky tweeted.
SHIPS EXCLUDED
The grain deal had restarted shipments from Ukraine, allowing sales on world markets, targeting the pre-war level of 5 million metric tons exported from Ukraine each month. But before it expired on November 19, Russia had said there were serious problems with it, and Ukraine complained that Moscow had blocked nearly 200 ships from receiving grain cargoes. The agreement ensured safe passage in and out of Odessa and two other Ukrainian ports. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused Russia of wanting to escalate the crisis, saying 218 ships were blocked and waiting to either carry food or enter Ukrainian ports. Zelensky said 40,000 tonnes of wheat had been loaded onto a ship in the port of Chornomorsk, chartered by the UN Food Program and destined for Ethiopia, which he said was “on the brink of starvation” and, like Yemen and Somalia, faces “catastrophic”. food shortages. “We are ready to release this ship into the sea,” he said, but like other ships with agricultural products, it was forced to wait, “because Russia is blackmailing the world with hunger,” he said. Zelensky demanded a strong response from the United Nations and the Group of 20 (G20) to what he called Russia’s foolish move on the grain deal, saying in a video address on Saturday that the move threatened large-scale famine in Africa and Asia. . Reporting by David Ljunggren and Reuters offices. Written by William Mallard, Guy Faulconbridge, Tomasz Janowski, Philippa Fletcher and Humeyra Pamuk. Editing by Frances Kerry, Will Dunham and Sandra Maler Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
