(Dan Tri) – Russian officials have made strong statements to warn the West about the grain deal in the Black Sea.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (Photo: Reuters).
In a statement over the weekend, Russia warned the West that if obstacles to the country’s grain and fertilizer exports were not removed, Ukraine would have to export grain overland rather than by sea.
Moscow also said it would work with outside countries on a grain export agreement in the Black Sea, which was brokered by the United Nations.
The Black Sea grain deal is the United Nations’ ongoing effort to ease the food crisis before Russia launched a special military campaign in Ukraine.
While the West has not imposed sanctions on Russia’s food and fertilizer exports, Moscow says it is largely affected by obstacles, such as insurance and payment obstacles, which
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that if the West does not want to realistically and honestly approach what UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has sought to pave the way for the agreement, Ukraine will have to use land routes and roads.
`If the West continues to refuse to remove obstacles to Russian exports, Moscow will resolve the grain deal,` Mr. Lavrov said next to his Turkish counterpart at a press conference in Ankara on July 7.
`If they have no desire to honestly approach what Mr. Guterres proposes and persistently push for the same, then let them continue to transport relevant products from Ukraine by road, rail and road.`
Russia and Ukraine are two of the most important producers of agricultural commodities in the world and are the main exporters in the market of wheat, barley, corn, rapeseed, rapeseed oil, sunflower seeds
Since its signing, the 120-day grain deal has been extended twice, once in November 2022 and a second time last March, although Russia said the extension was due in March.
Russia has repeatedly said that if Western countries want to extend this grain deal, they must meet a series of Moscow’s demands, including reconnecting the Russian Agricultural Bank (Rosselkhozbank) with the payment system.