4-8-2023 (MOSCOW) The Kremlin has demanded actions and not words from the United States regarding the Black Sea grain deal. Last month, Russia decided not to renew the deal that allowed Ukraine to ship grain from its Black Sea ports despite the war. Russia stated that not enough had been done to remove obstacles to its own exports of food and fertiliser. The country said it was ready to return to the agreement as soon as these issues were addressed.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, “If they want to contribute to fulfilling the part of the grain deal that is due to Russia, the Americans must fulfil it, not promise that they will think about it. As soon as this is done, this deal will immediately be renewed.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated on Thursday that, “In the event of a return to the agreement, of course, we’ll continue to do whatever is necessary to make sure that everyone can export their food and food products freely and safely to include Russia.”
Western countries have accused Russia of using food as a weapon of war by quitting the Black Sea deal, which had helped to bring down global food prices. Additionally, Russia has carried out repeated air strikes in recent weeks on Ukrainian ports and grain stores.
Russia argues that the deal was not working properly as not enough grain was getting to the poorest countries. It claims that its own food exports, while not targeted directly, are hampered by Western sanctions affecting port access, insurance, and banking.
