Without Russia, the Kremlin warns of the consequences of the “grain agreement”

The Kremlin warned Monday that it would be “dangerous” and “difficult” to continue implementing the agreement on Ukrainian grain exports without Moscow, which has suspended its participation in it, while ships continue to leave Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in response to a question about the possibility of continuing the implementation of the agreement without Russia, “In the circumstances in which Russia is talking about the impossibility of ensuring the safety of navigation in these areas, it is difficult to implement such an agreement. Things are taking a different path, more dangerous.”

According to Moscow, it was forced to withdraw from the shipping agreement after it blamed Kyiv for bombings that damaged Russian navy ships in a Crimean port on Saturday.

Ukraine has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the bombings, but says the Russian navy’s ships are a legitimate military target.

Twelve ships loaded with grain left Ukrainian ports on Monday, despite Russia ditching a U.N.-backed deal to ensure exports flow from the conflict zone.

The ships carried a total of 354,500 tons of grain, much more than usual in a single day, indicating that the backlog of shipments was loaded after Sunday’s export halt.

International officials had feared that Moscow would re-impose a blockade of Ukrainian grain after Russia announced on Saturday its withdrawal from the United Nations-backed program that guarantees the safety of cargo ships across the Black Sea.

Turkish position

Suspending the grain export agreement will not benefit any of the parties involved

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar

Wild road

France is seeking to provide overland routes through Poland or Romania for the passage of food exports from Ukraine as an alternative to the Black Sea route

French Agriculture Minister Marc Vesnot

The French Minister of Agriculture said Monday that his country is seeking to provide land routes through Poland or Romania for the passage of food exports from Ukraine as an alternative to the Black Sea route.

Speaking to RMC radio, Mark Vesnu said, “We are looking to see if it is possible, in the event that it is not possible to pass through the Black Sea, to pass instead by land routes, especially by studying the land routes through Romania. and Poland”.

“We will continue to work for a system that does not place us under the will and goodwill, or in this case, bad faith, (Russian President) Vladimir Putin,” he added.

Ukraine and Russia are among the world’s largest food exporters, and for three months, the UN-backed agreement ensured market access for Ukrainian exports, preventing what officials around the world have described could amount to a global famine.

News of Moscow’s withdrawal from the agreement sent global wheat prices up more than five percent on Monday morning.

The United States accused Russia of using food as a weapon, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Moscow was “blackmailing the world with hunger”.

Russia denied the accusations, but said that with its navy damaged, it was no longer able to guarantee the safety of navigation.