Live updates: Russia’s war in Ukraine

Live updates: Russia’s war in Ukraine


Farmers harvest grain in Stavropol, Russia, on July 16. Denis Abramov/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow withdrew from a vital Black Sea grain deal intended to stabilize global food prices and bring relief to developing countries because it “failed” to ensure the delivery of grain.

The deal struck a year ago allowed Ukraine to export grain by sea, with ships bypassing a Russian blockade of the country’s Black Sea ports and navigating safe passage through the waterway to Turkey’s Bosphorus Strait in order to reach global markets.

Vessels were inspected before they arrived in Ukraine by Russian, Ukrainian and Turkish officials, to ensure weapons were not being smuggled into Ukraine.

The impact of the war on global food markets was immediate and extremely painful, especially because Ukraine is a major supplier of grain to the World Food Programme (WFP).

Since quitting the deal, Russia has continually attacked the southern city of Odesa, a key Ukrainian food-exporting port.

In a self-penned article published Monday on the Kremlin’s website ahead of a Russia-Africa summit scheduled to take place later this week, Putin claimed Moscow could make up the shortfall in Ukrainian grain.

“I want to give assurances that our country is capable of replacing the Ukrainian grain both on a commercial and free-of-charge basis, especially as we expect another record harvest this year,” Putin wrote. 

“Notwithstanding the sanctions, Russia will continue its energetic efforts to provide supplies of grain, food products, fertilizers and other goods to Africa,” he added. 

Putin claimed the grain deal had been used for the “enrichment of large US and European businesses” and that “barriers have been mounted” to Russia’s own attempts to supply mineral fertilizers to countries in need — an effort that, in his opinion, “should be exempt from any sanctions.” 

“Considering all these facts, there is no longer any use in continuing the “grain deal” as it has failed to serve its original humanitarian purpose,” Putin concluded. 

Food security threats: Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres after Russia pulled out of the grain deal.

“This is another attempt by Russia to weaponize hunger and destabilize the global food market,” Zelensky said in a post on his Telegram page last Monday.

According to the European Commission, Ukraine accounts for 10% of the world wheat market, 15% of the corn market, and 13% of the barley market. It is also a key global player in the market of sunflower oil.

Prior to Russia’s withdrawal, the deal had allowed for the export of almost 33 million metric tons of food through Ukrainian ports, according to data from the United Nations



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