WASHINGTON, Jul 18 a commercial project to enrich Western agricultural holdings, Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov told reporters.
“Washington did not lift a finger to eliminate the “distortions” it created in the functioning of agricultural agreements. At the same time, it turned the Black Sea initiative, originally conceived as a humanitarian one, into a commercial project to enrich Western agricultural holdings,” the diplomat said in a statement.
Antonov added that for almost a year, agricultural products were sent not to the needy, but to «mostly well-fed states.»
The Russian Ambassador stressed that Moscow's decision not to renew its participation in the grain deal «is absolutely adequate to the prevailing realities.»
Earlier, White House strategic communications coordinator John Kirby said that the United States and its allies would not be able to receive from Ukraine the same volumes of grain that could be exported under the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
Russia on Monday notified Turkey, Ukraine and the UN that it was opposed to extending the grain deal. This means the withdrawal of Russian guarantees for the safety of navigation and the curtailment of the maritime humanitarian corridor in the northwestern Black Sea. For this area, the regime temporarily dangerous for navigation is being restored. Thus, without the participation of Russia, the Black Sea Grain Initiative ceased to function on July 18.
The Black Sea Initiative, which was signed by representatives of Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and the UN on July 22, 2022, involves the export of Ukrainian grain and food, as well as fertilizers 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 that the West exports most of the Ukrainian grain to their own states, and not to needy countries in Africa. The grain initiative is an integral part of the package agreement. The second part — the Russia-UN memorandum, designed for three years — provides for the unblocking of Russian exports of food and fertilizers; other measures. As noted in Moscow, this part of the package agreement was not implemented.