Russia said on Wednesday it was rejoining an agreement that would allow grain to be shipped from Ukrainian ports via the Black Sea, easing days of uncertainty over a deal that offers hope to the nations facing the conflict. facing severe food shortages.
Moscow, which suspended participation in the deal over the weekend, said it had received assurances from the Ukrainian government that it would not use civilian shipments for “military operations against the Federation.” Russia”, Tass, Russia’s state news agency. , report.
Moscow suspended its participation over the weekend after an attack on Russian naval ships in Crimea that it blamed on Ukraine. Moscow claimed, without evidence, that the attack showed that the waters used to transport grain were unsafe.
The status of the deal – brokered by Turkey and the United Nations this summer – has been uncertain for days, although some shipments have been authorized previously. continue until Tuesday.
Amir M. Abdulla, a United Nations official coordinating shipments, say on Twitter on Tuesday that he expected the ships to begin leaving again on Thursday, without elaborating.
Russian President Vladimir V. Putin left open the possibility of a resumption of the agreement and told reporters this week, “We are not saying we will stop engaging in this activity.” Analysts say Russia has also raised objections about not being able to export as large of its own agricultural goods as the deal allows, as buyers are wary of violating Western sanctions. West restricts trade with Moscow.
On Tuesday, Tass reported that Putin told the Turkish president in a phone call that he wanted a “detailed investigation” of the attack on the Russian fleet and “real assurances” that Kyiv would not use the corridors. counties in the Black Sea agreed for military purposes. “Only then can the resumption of the ‘Black Sea initiative’ be considered,” Putin said in a press release.
Moscow’s stance provoked a backlash from the United States.
Ned Price, spokesman for the State Department, say on Tuesday that Russia’s suspension of the deal had “an immediate impact on global food prices” and that ships in Black Sea ports were “loaded” and “ready to go”, including a rice vessel emergency response noodles in the Horn of Africa, where a famine is building in Somalia.
“Any decision by the Kremlin to disrupt this initiative is a statement that Moscow does not care about,” said Mr. “Moscow doesn’t care if the world goes hungry. Moscow doesn’t care if people starve. Moscow does not care whether the world food insecurity crisis is complicated or not.
According to a statement from the Turkish leader’s office, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, the country that brokered the agreement along with the United Nations, expressed confidence after speaking with Putin yesterday. Tuesday that differences over the grain deal can be resolved.
According to VesselFinder.com and Ismini Palla, a United Nations spokeswoman, three cargo ships carrying corn, wheat and sunflower oil left Ukrainian ports on Tuesday and were heading south towards Istanbul. . She said that Russian authorities had been informed of the departure.
Safak Timur contribution report.
