Russia to Continue Dialogue With UN, Turkey on Grain Deal

A boat with Russian, Ukrainian, Turkish and U.N. officials heads to the Sierra Leone-flagged cargo ship Razoni, to check if the grain shipment is in accordance with a crucial agreement signed last month by Moscow and Kyiv, at an inspection area in the Black Sea off the coast of Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russia was forced to suspend its participation in the grain deal after Ukraine’s terrorist attack on Russian ships, but it will continue the dialogue with the United Nations and Turkey, which brokered the original deal, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said on Tuesday.”Last weekend, Ukraine launched a terrorist attack against Russian ships and civilian vessels in the Sevastopol Bay. The safety of humanitarian corridor can no longer be guaranteed, and we were forced to suspend our participation in the grain deal. Nevertheless, we will continue the dialogue with the UN and Turkey on topical issues under the agreements signed in Istanbul,” Mishustin told the Heads of Government Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).RussiaRussia to Donate Wheat, Fuel to Lebanon After Suspending Grain Deal, Lebanese Minister Says10:14 GMTRegardless of the prospects for the grain deal, Russia is ready to donate up to 500,000 tonnes of grain to the countries which need it the most, thanks to good harvest in Russia in 2022, the Russian prime minister added. Moscow is also willing to supply all interested nations with grain at reasonable prices, Mishustin said.Moscow suspended its participation in the grain deal on Saturday after Ukraine attacked Russian military and civilian vessels in the Black Sea. The Russian Defense Ministry believes the attack was carried out by the Ukrainian military under the guidance of UK specialists.On July 22, Russia and Ukraine signed a deal brokered by Turkey and the UN in Istanbul to unblock sea exports of grain and other foods from Ukraine, after the UN sounded alarm over a looming global food crisis.Since then, Russia has repeatedly stressed that almost all grain exported from Ukraine was sent not to the countries in need but to EU member states. Following Ukraine’s terrorist attack on Russian vessels, Russian Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Dmitry Chumakov said on Monday that the grain deal had not been effective in bringing grain and fertilizer to developing countries. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that only 3% to 5% of grain deal supplies had gone to the poorest countries, while some 35% had gone to the European Union and 34% to Turkey.

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