Today, Thursday, Russia made what it called the West’s overcoming a series of obstacles to the export of Russian grain and fertilizers conditional on Moscow’s agreement to extend the United Nations-brokered grain export agreement through the Black Sea beyond May 18.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement, according to Reuters: "Without progress in resolving five systemic problems… there will be no need to talk about another extension of the Black Sea Initiative beyond May 18".
The ministry added "We note that despite all the loud statements about global food security and assistance to countries in need, the Black Sea Initiative has exclusively served and continues to serve Kiev’s commercial exports for the benefit of Western countries.".
In order to persuade Russia to allow Ukraine to resume its grain exports across the Black Sea last year, a three-year deal was concluded in July in which the United Nations agreed to help Russia export its food products and fertilizers.
Russia said the two agreements "Two interconnected parts of one ‘package’"and sharply criticized the UN Secretariat for what it described as distortion of facts.
Western powers imposed heavy sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Although Russia’s exports of food and fertilizer are not subject to sanctions, Moscow says restrictions on payments, logistics and insurance are an impediment to its exports.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said it would like to reconnect Russia’s agricultural bank (Rosselkhozbank) to the SWIFT payment system, allow Russia to import agricultural machinery and spare parts, and remove restrictions on insurance and reinsurance.
Other demands include allowing Russian ships access to ports, restarting a pipeline that transports Russian ammonia to a Ukrainian port, and unfreezing the assets and accounts of Russian companies operating in the field of exporting foodstuffs and fertilizers.
The ministry said "It was supposed to overcome the obstacles facing domestic agricultural exports within the framework of implementing the memorandum concluded between Russia and the United Nations".
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