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| Grain Deal News Roundup for July 17th, 2023 |
| 2023-07-19 |
| Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. Lavrov discussed the situation with the supply of grain with the Turkish Foreign Minister [Regnum] Foreign Ministers of Russia and Turkey Sergey Lavrov and Hakan Fidan discussed by phone alternative options for supplying grain to needy countries independent of Kiev and the West, the press service of the Russian Foreign Ministry reported on its website on July 18. As stated in the release, the conversation took place on the initiative of the Turkish side. During the talks, the Foreign Ministers exchanged views on the regional agenda with an emphasis on the latest developments around Ukraine. So, Lavrov and Fidan discussed the results of joint work within the grain deal. “As an alternative to the Black Sea Initiative, the ministers considered other options for supplying grain to the countries most in need, not dependent on the subversive actions of Kiev and its Western patrons,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said. An exchange of views also took place on a number of issues of bilateral relations. As IA Regnum reported, on July 17, Russia officially notified the UN, Turkey and Ukraine of the termination of the grain deal. In this regard, the guarantees for the safety of navigation along this corridor have also been withdrawn. The Russian Foreign Ministry called the results of this deal disappointing. Thus, during the period of existence of the agreements, a total of 32.8 million tons of cargo was exported from the ports of Ukraine, of which more than 70% (26.3 million tons) were sent to countries with high and upper middle income levels, including the EU. The poorest countries, notably Ethiopia, Yemen, Afghanistan, Sudan and Somalia, accounted for less than 3%. Keeping the deal in the face of such blatant sabotage of the agreements makes no sense, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The department also stated that the Kiev regime used the ports controlled by it and the corridor opened by Russia not only to export Ukrainian grain, but also to carry out terrorist attacks. Without Russia's participation, the grain deal will cease to function from July 18, the Foreign Ministry said. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned at a briefing on July 18 that attempts to continue the grain deal without Moscow's participation would lead to risks, since the grain corridor adjoins the war zone. More from regnum.ru United States recognized the impossibility of exporting a sufficient amount of grain from Ukraine The United States of America and its allies will look for ways to export grain from Ukraine, but in a smaller volume than they could export as part of the Black Sea initiative, John Kirby, White House strategic communications coordinator, stated on July 17 . “There is no possibility, just mathematical, that we will get as much grain now as we could through the grain deal, if it were extended,” he said. Exporting grain through European countries requires EU approval, but transporting grain via the European route is more cumbersome and less efficient than the Black Sea, Kirby added. As IA Regnum reported, on July 17, Russia officially notified the UN, Turkey and Ukraine that the deal was terminated. In this regard, the guarantees for the safety of navigation along this corridor have also been withdrawn. The grain deal should not have ended, it should be extended as soon as possible, said US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken . According to him, Russia did not have a single argument not to agree to the extension of this agreement. Since its conclusion in July 2022, the grain deal has been extended several times. The Kremlin and the Russian Foreign Ministry noted that the promises given by the Russian Federation under the agreements are not being fulfilled (in terms of exporting agricultural products, importing components, connecting banks to the SWIFT system), and therefore the deal may be suspended. Yet, more from regnum.ru Ambassador Antonov: US turned grain deal into enrichment process The White House turned the initially humanitarian Black Sea initiative into a commercial project to enrich Western agricultural holdings. This was stated to journalists by the Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov. “Washington did not lift a finger in order to eliminate the “distortions” it created in the functioning of agricultural agreements,” Antonov believes. According to the diplomat, for almost a year, agricultural products were sent not to the needy, but to "mostly well-fed states", thus, the US humanitarian initiative was turned into a process of enrichment. “Moscow's decision not to renew participation in the grain deal is “absolutely adequate to the prevailing realities,” the Russian ambassador summed up. As IA Regnum reported, the grain deal should be extended as soon as possible, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said on July 17. The poorest countries, contrary to the terms of the deal, received only 3% of exported products, the Ukrainian authorities used the corridor provided to them exclusively for making money, said Russian President Vladimir Putin . On July 17, Russia formally notified the UN, Turkey and Ukraine of the termination of the deal. In this regard, the guarantees for the safety of navigation along this corridor have also been withdrawn. |
| Posted by:badanov |