A Russia condition for returning to the “grain agreement”… Will the West respond?

In an attempt to avoid an upcoming food crisis, international powers urged Russia to reverse its position on suspending the agreement brokered by the United Nations to allow the safe passage of ships carrying Ukrainian grain to the countries of the world.

This comes at a time when Turkey announced that its Defense Minister Hulusi Akar is making efforts to resume the “grain agreement” after Moscow suspended it against the backdrop of attacks in the city of Sevastopol in southern Crimea.

A statement by the Turkish Ministry of Defense said that “Akar” is continuing its discussions with the “concerned parties” to solve the problem, and resume the activities of the grain initiative that were implemented through joint coordination until today, calling for the importance of continuing the agreement “because of its positive impact on humanity around the world, and the possibility of a solution All crises are achieved through dialogue and good intentions.

He demanded the need to avoid “any provocation” that would negatively affect the continuation of the agreement, at a time when the statement revealed that the Russian employees working in the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul are still at their workplaces.

Earlier, the European Union called on Russia to reverse its decision to withdraw from the agreement to export Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea, which coincides with a global food crisis.

Russian clause

On the other hand, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko revealed that talk about Russia’s return to the “grain agreement” could happen after knowing the circumstances of the attack on the ships of the Black Sea Fleet in the waters of Sevastopol.

Rudenko said in an interview carried by the Russian “Novosti” agency, that “most likely only after all the details become known, so that it is possible to talk about what the next steps will be,” considering that it is necessary to disclose in detail all the circumstances of the accident because it “violates all the conditions that It was agreed earlier.

Last July, Russia and Ukraine signed an agreement in Istanbul under the auspices of the United Nations and Turkey, allowing Ukraine to reopen its ports on the Black Sea for grain exports, allowing the export of millions of tons of grain stuck in Ukraine due to the war.

As of October 27, more than 9.2 million tons of grain and other foodstuffs have been exported under the agreement, according to data published by the United Nations.

Although the main objective of the grain agreement was to end the embargo on Ukrainian exports, which was part of the global food crisis, it also allowed for more shipments of Russian grain and fertilizer.

In turn, the Russian Defense Ministry said it had recovered and analyzed the wreckage of drones used to attack the Black Sea Fleet on Saturday in Crimea.

She explained that the drones that attacked the Russian ships in Sevastopol left Odessa and moved along the security zone of the grain deal corridor.

big crisis

For his part, Abdel Masih Al-Shami, an expert in international relations, said in an interview with TnT Universal Tv that what prompted Russia to stop this agreement was the lack of commitment from the Ukrainian side and the West behind it, given that the strike that was directed against the Russian fleet in Sevastopol is Joint action Although the area where the attack took place is considered a safe area for the export of grain.

Al-Shami believes that Moscow views this crisis as that the Western parties wanted to stop this agreement and prevent the export of grain, to hold Russia responsible for “starving the world” and not to export grain and the arrival of foodstuffs to the world’s countries, especially the poor ones, adding: “We cannot expect more from the Russian position. This is normal when Russia’s fleet is targeted in Crimea, which oversees the grain export areas, protects convoys and secures the crossings.”

The international relations expert expected that this crisis would affect food prices and high inflation rates in the world, as Russia and Ukraine are among the main sources of global food.

Commenting on the Turkish mediation to resume the agreement again, Al-Shami said that “the Turkish role is important for various reasons, and it is driven by the interests of Ankara, which is trying to play the role of mediator and bridge linking energy and food sources and the markets that consume them.”

He explained that the grain export agreement brings economic benefits, political benefits and international interest to Ankara in the current crisis, and therefore finds itself interested in revitalizing the negotiations and pushing Moscow to resume the agreement so that it does not lose a “trump card” that it uses in other files with Europe and improve its position with Russia.