Russia Writes to UN With Demands to Quit Black Sea Grains Deal

According to Russia’s Geneva U.N ambassador, Moscow has submitted concerns to the United Nations about an agreement on Black Sea grain exports, and is prepared to reject renewing the deal next month unless its demands are addressed.

The agreement, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey in July, paved the way for Ukraine to resume grain exports from Black Sea ports that had been shut since Russia invaded. Moscow won guarantees for its own grain and fertiliser exports.

The agreement helped stave off a global food crisis: Russia and Ukraine are two of the world’s biggest grain exporters and Russia is the number one fertiliser exporter. But Moscow has repeatedly complained about its implementation, arguing it still faces difficulty selling fertiliser and food.

“If we see nothing is happening on the Russian side of the deal; export of Russian grains and fertilisers, then excuse us. We will have to look at it in a different way,” said Gennady Gatilov, Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva.

This deal should be fair and fairly implemented by all sides even if Russia might withhold support for the grains deal’s renewal over the concerns.

U.N is set to remain in constant touch with Russian officials, as well as with officials from the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States. This is set to remove the last obstacles to facilitate the export of Russian grain and fertiliser.

Washington has said that Russian claims to be open to talks on the war’s future amount to “posturing” as it continues to strike Ukrainian cities.

After being asked about the prospect of a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and U.S President Joe Biden, Gatilov said it was not feasible given the levels of U.S military support for Ukraine. Most probably it would make the U.S part of the conflict.