MINSK, July 17. /TASS/. The collective West and Kiev are fully to blame for the termination of the grain deal, Russian Ambassador to Belarus Boris Gryzlov said on Monday.
According to him, "the counterparties have systematically failed to implement all the key parameters and terms of the [grain] deal on purpose." "They are fully responsible for the termination of the initiative," Gryzlov insisted. He referred to the Togliatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline on Kiev-controlled territory which was blown up by the Ukrainians and terror attacks on civilian infrastructure in Crimea and Sevastopol that were conducted with the use of waterways designed for grain exports.
The West, the Russian diplomat recalled, has failed to deliver on its commitment to reconnect the Russian agricultural bank Rosselkhozbank to the SWIFT international payment network, resume supplies of spare parts for farm vehicles, and, among other things, ensure grain exports logistics and insurance.
Moscow has officially notified Turkey, Ukraine, and the UN Secretariat of its objection to any further extension of the grain deal, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova announced on Monday.
On July 22, 2022, a package of documents on the supply of food and fertilizers to the international market was signed in Istanbul. The agreements were originally concluded for a period of 120 days. They were extended for the same period last November. On March 18, 2023, Russia announced the extension of the deal for 60 days. The grain deal was extended for two more months on May 18.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that not a single provision under the Russian segment of the initiative was ever fulfilled while the grain deal lasted, nevertheless, Ukrainian exports went unhampered. Moreover, Ukrainian grain was mostly exported to the West and never made it to the poorest countries, according to Russia’s top diplomat.