MOSCOW, July 21. /TASS/. Rhetoric by Kiev that Russia-bound vessels traversing the Black Sea will be viewed as potential carriers of military cargo is dangerous, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday.
"Unpredictable actions [by Kiev], and moreover, the involvement of the Kiev regime in terror attacks, no doubt, potentially pose a threat in this sphere," Peskov said, when asked to comment on the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s warning that Kiev will view Russia-bound vessels in the Black Sea as carriers of military cargo.
"Since the absolutely unpredictable Kiev regime doesn’t shun anything, such statements do pose an immediate threat," the Russian presidential spokesman added.
The grain deal expired on July 17. Russia had agreed to extend the agreement to provide a shipping corridor across the Black Sea for vessels carrying Ukrainian grain several times since it had been signed last July, but said that the Russia-related provisions of the deal, which called for removing obstacles to Russian farm exports, had not been fulfilled. Moscow also pointed out that, although the agreements were intended to direct food supplies to the poorest countries, most Ukrainian grain shipments went to wealthy Western countries. Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that Moscow was ready to return to the deal, but only after the Russia-related provisions were fulfilled.
The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Wednesday that it would view all ships going across the Black Sea to Ukrainian ports as carrying military cargoes, starting from the coming midnight, in a move that follows the expiration of the Black Sea grain deal. It said the flag states of such ships will be viewed as participating in the Ukrainian conflict on the side of Kiev. Also, A number of sea areas in the northwestern and southeastern international waters of the Black Sea were declared temporarily dangerous for navigation.
On July 20, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry retaliated by saying that that would consider all ships travelling through the Black Sea to Russian ports as carrying military cargo, starting from midnight on Thursday. In addition, Ukraine declared navigation in northeastern areas of the Black Sea and the Kerch Strait "dangerous" and banned it, starting from 5 a.m. Moscow time on July 20.