Friday

29th Sep 2023

EU: Russia's withdrawal from Black Sea grain deal 'unjustified'

  • So far under the initiative, almost 32 tonnes of food products have been exported from Ukrainian ports, to 45 countries — more than half in the developing world (Photo: UNDP Ukraine)
Listen to article

EU foreign relations chief Josep Borrell said on Monday (17 July) that Russia's withdrawal from the Black Sea grain deal is "completely unjustified".

Russia is yet again "weaponising the hunger of the people," he said, arguing that the situation is "very serious" for many people worldwide who depend on Ukrainian grains.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

Russia's decision to cease participation in the Black Sea Initiative, brokered by the UN and Turkey last year to ensure the safe export of Ukrainian grain, means no safety guarantees for shipping food and fertiliser from three Ukrainian seaports — Odessa, Chornomorsk, and Yuzhny/Pivdennyi.  

The grain deal, which has already been extended several times, was due to expire at the end of Monday.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday the deal would now cease because Russian demands regarding barriers to their own food and fertiliser exports have not been met.

"Unfortunately, the part of these Black Sea agreements concerning Russia has not been implemented so far, so its effect is terminated," he said, according to Reuters.

Peskov also said Russia will return to implementing the deal as soon as Moscow's requirements are fulfilled.

Under the grain deal initiative, almost 32 tonnes of food products have been exported from Ukrainian ports to 45 countries, more than half from the developing world.

The initiative has allowed the export of more than 725,000 tonnes of wheat to countries, including Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.

EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen the same day dubbed Russia's decision as a "cynical move" — adding that the EU will continue to help Ukraine export agri-food products through EU solidarity lanes.

"EU is working to ensure food security for the world's vulnerable," she said on Twitter.

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday he believed Russia wanted to continue its participation, despite the withdrawal announcement. He added that talks with Russia on the matter will continue this week.

Erdogan also said that he will meet Putin in person in August and that it is crucial to discuss how to "open the way for the transport of Russian fertiliser and grain."

For her part, EU Parliament president Roberta Metsola raised concerns over the "spillover effects" of Russia's decision, warning that many countries depend on Ukrainian grain.

Ukraine's minister for foreign affairs, Dmytro Kuleba, accused Russia of "playing hunger games."

"It's impossible to fully compensate the blockade of Ukrainian ports by inland routes, so Russia is using hunger as an instrument to blackmail the world, pursuing it's own commercial interests," he told CBS News.

Meanwhile, food-security experts said Russia's decision could raise food prices again.

Sofia Monsalve Suarez from the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems said that the Black Sea grain deal has helped calm "highly-volatile food markets" while preventing last year's food-price crisis from worsening further.

"Russia pulling out of the Black Sea grain deal is bad news for the 2.4 billion people suffering food insecurity right now. They could now see food prices rise again, as speculators take their cues from the diplomatic situation," she warned.

African Union chief raises alarm over food crisis at EU summit

Disruption in exports of grain and fertilisers as a consequence of the Ukraine war is triggering a "worrying" situation for the continent hosting 282 million undernourished people, African Union president Macky Sall told EU leaders at the summit.

Five frontline EU states push to extend Ukraine grain ban

Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia called on the European Commission to extend their ban on Ukrainian grain imports until the end of 2023 in a bid to safeguard their farmers and agricultural sector.

EU farm chief backs extending Ukraine grain ban and subsidies

EU agriculture commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski has backed extending the temporary ban on Ukrainian grain imports in five frontline countries until the end of 2023 — and proposed providing subsidies for Ukrainian grain exporters.

EU farm chief backs extending Ukraine grain ban and subsidies

EU agriculture commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski has backed extending the temporary ban on Ukrainian grain imports in five frontline countries until the end of 2023 — and proposed providing subsidies for Ukrainian grain exporters.

Latest News

  1. Poland's culture of fear after three years of abortion 'ban'
  2. Time for a reset: EU regional funding needs overhauling
  3. Germany tightens police checks on Czech and Polish border
  4. EU Ombudsman warns of 'new normal' of crisis decision-making
  5. How do you make embarrassing EU documents 'disappear'?
  6. Resurgent Fico hopes for Slovak comeback at Saturday's election
  7. EU and US urge Azerbijan to allow aid access to Armenians
  8. EU warns of Russian 'mass manipulation' as elections loom

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. International Medical Devices Regulators Forum (IMDRF)Join regulators, industry & healthcare experts at the 24th IMDRF session, September 25-26, Berlin. Register by 20 Sept to join in person or online.
  2. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  3. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA
  4. International Medical Devices Regulators Forum (IMDRF)Join regulators & industry experts at the 24th IMDRF session- Berlin September 25-26. Register early for discounted hotel rates
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersGlobal interest in the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations – here are the speakers for the launch
  6. Nordic Council of Ministers20 June: Launch of the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. International Sustainable Finance CentreJoin CEE Sustainable Finance Summit, 15 – 19 May 2023, high-level event for finance & business
  2. ICLEISeven actionable measures to make food procurement in Europe more sustainable
  3. World BankWorld Bank Report Highlights Role of Human Development for a Successful Green Transition in Europe
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic summit to step up the fight against food loss and waste
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersThink-tank: Strengthen co-operation around tech giants’ influence in the Nordics
  6. EFBWWEFBWW calls for the EC to stop exploitation in subcontracting chains

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us