In the dispute over the grain agreement, the pressure on Russia is increasing. With China, an ally of the Kremlin is now calling for averting an impending food crisis. Beijing’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Geng Shuang, called on Friday (local time) in the UN Security Council for an early resumption of grain and fertilizer exports from Russia and Ukraine.
Moscow declared the agreement over on Monday and withdrawn the security guarantees for grain carriers in the Russian-controlled regions of the Black Sea. Since then, there have been repeated Russian attacks on Ukrainian ports.
China hopes those concerned will work with relevant UN bodies to find a balanced solution to the legitimate concerns of all parties, Geng said at the New York meeting, according to a report by Chinese state television. This is necessary to ensure international food security. He also referred to UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ announcement that he would do everything possible to ensure that both Ukrainian grain and Russian food and fertilizers reach the world markets.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin made it clear that Moscow sees the UN as playing a role in the dispute over a possible reopening. “The ball is – as is sometimes said now – on the side of our partners with whom we worked,” said Wershinin. He said that as part of the grain deal a year ago with the United Nations, a memorandum, valid for three years, was signed outlining Russia’s terms of the deal.
Russia is asking the West to relax sanctions so that it can sell its own grain and fertilizer more easily on the world market. Moscow complains that in the course of the EU sanctions, for example, the exclusion of Russian banks from the Swift financial transaction system is hindering transactions. Insurance could not be taken out for the freighters either.
Zelensky is on the phone with Erdoğan
The EU emphasizes that Russian grain and fertilizer are exempt from the sanctions and that many banks are still connected to Swift. However, Vershinin replied that the “spirit of sanctions” was radiating and that many partners also shy away from doing legal business with Russia. That is why Russia wants to achieve easing in principle. At the same time, he made it clear that Russia would find ways to bring its grain and fertilizer, which are in demand in developing countries, onto the world market. And Russia is still willing to negotiate a new agreement with Turkey. You have “a very close cooperation”. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan mediated between the warring parties a year ago.
In addition to connecting its banks to Swift, Russia is also demanding a resumption of deliveries of components for its agricultural machinery and fertilizer production facilities. In addition, the blockade of Russian assets abroad related to agriculture should be lifted, Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin said. Russia is ready to return to the agreement if all conditions are met.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged a return to the agreement in talks with Erdoğan on Friday. “Opening the grain corridor has absolute priority,” Zelensky said after a phone call with the Turkish head of state. “Together we must prevent a global food crisis.”
“Because of Russia’s actions, the world is again on the brink of a food crisis. A total of 400 million people in many countries in Africa and Asia are at risk of hunger,” said Zelensky.
According to Erdoğan, he hopes to be able to talk to Putin about the grain agreement in August. He has instructed his foreign minister to negotiate a new edition of the agreement with Moscow.