The Russian side claims to be making "necessary efforts" to allow the food-carrying vessels involved in the "grain agreement" to exit the Black Sea through the Bosporus by July 17. After that, Russia "sees no grounds" for continuing the agreement.
This was stated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia.
The Kremlin demands, in exchange for the continuation of the agreement, the reconnection of the sanctioned Rosselkhozbank to the global SWIFT financial messaging system and the easing of sanctions against Russian food, fertilizers, and agricultural machinery.
It is worth recalling that in June, Putin openly threatened to withdraw Russia from the “grain agreement”. He accused Western countries of not fulfilling Russian requirements within the Black Sea Grain Initiative and stated that Moscow is considering leaving it.
The United Nations has already expressed concern about a possible Russian withdrawal from the grain agreement.
Recall that on May 17, the agreement on the Black Sea Grain Corridor was extended for another two months. According to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Russian side promised not to obstruct the departure of Turkish vessels from the ports of Mykolaiv and Olvia.
Later, on April 18, a decrease in global wheat prices was recorded.
However, on Thursday, June 1, Russia once again blocked the grain corridor for ships entering Ukrainian ports. The U.S. State Department emphasized that Russia is resorting to blatant violations of the “grain agreement” and continues to hinder the normal operation of this vital initiative.
Photo: open sources
