It says it is ready not to proceed with the renewal of the agreement on grain exports through the Black Sea next month, unless its demands are met
THE Moscow has expressed concerns in writing to United Nations regarding the agreement on the grain exports via the Black Sea and it is ready not to proceed with the renewal of the agreement next month unless its demands are met, Russia’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva told Reuters today. Gennady Gatilov.
The deal, brokered by the UN and Turkey in July, cleared the way for Ukraine to resume grain exports from Black Sea ports that had been blocked since the Russian invasion. Moscow won guarantees for its own grain and fertilizer exports.
The deal helped defuse a global food crisis: Russia and Ukraine are two of the world’s biggest grain exporters, and Russia is the number one fertilizer exporter. But Moscow has repeatedly complained about the agreement’s implementation, claiming it still faces difficulties selling fertilizer and food.
In an interview with Reuters, Gatilov stressed that Moscow delivered a letter to the UN Secretary General on Wednesday Antonio Guterres, in which he lists a list of complaints. UN officials are due to visit Moscow on Sunday to discuss renewing the agreement.
“If we see nothing happening on the Russian side of the deal – export of Russian grain and fertilizer – then sorry, we’ll have to look at this one differently,” he said.
He declined to provide a copy of the letter. A United Nations spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Asked if Russia might refuse to support the renewal of the grain deal because of the concerns, he said: “There is a possibility… We are not against grain deliveries, but this deal should be equal, it should is fair and to be applied fairly from all sides”.
Gatilov, a career diplomat and former Russian deputy foreign minister before becoming UN ambassador, said he saw the prospects for a negotiated settlement of the nearly eight-month war in Ukraine fading. He cited what he called “terrorist acts,” such as the explosion of a bridge to Crimea.
“All this makes it more difficult to reach a political solution,” he said.
Asked about the prospect of a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden, Gatilov said it was not possible given the level of US military support for Ukraine. “It makes the US part of the conflict,” he stressed.
However, he appeared more optimistic about other outcomes of the negotiations, such as access to humanitarian aid and further prisoner exchanges.
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