MOSCOW, 17 Apr. Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov said that Russia received nothing from the grain deal and suggested not to renew it.
«Russia didn't get anything from the grain deal. No, we've heard plenty of promises. Maybe enough already?» — he wrote in his telegram channel.
As Zyuganov noted, the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, claims that allegedly «Russia … is blocking 50 ships with urgently needed grain in the Black Sea.» “At the same time, Josep tactfully kept silent about who exactly the grain is “urgently in need of.” Judging by the direction of supplies, the most needy are European inhabitants, and not African countries at all. Thus, as part of the grain deal, Europe received at least 44% of grain, Africa — no more than 14%,» the parliamentarian noted.
The MP recalled that farmers from Poland, Hungary and Slovakia «revolted» because duty-free Ukrainian grain «kills their own agriculture.» «However, no matter what happens in Europe, America is getting richer in any case, the companies from which own the «Ukrainian» grain,» he concluded.
The grain deal, which was signed on July 22, 2022 by representatives of Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and the UN, involves the export of Ukrainian grain, food and fertilizer across the Black Sea from three ports, including Odessa. The coordination of vessel traffic is handled by the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul. Russian President Vladimir Putin pointed out in September that the West exports most of the Ukrainian grain to its own states, and not to needy countries in Africa.
Russia has extended the Black Sea grain initiative for 60 days — until May 18. Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya, in his letter to Deputy Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths, indicated that «the consideration by the Russian side of a further extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative after the specified date will be possible only depending on the achievement of tangible progress in the implementation of the memorandum of understanding between the Russian Federation and the UN Secretariat on assistance in promoting Russian food and fertilizers to global markets».