BEIRUT, July 18. /TASS/. Alarmist predictions about the grain deal’s termination leading to a hunger crisis in developing countries are aimed at setting the global community against Russia, Lebanese expert on food security issues Mohamed Diab told TASS.

"In fact, Russia’s position is well-grounded and appropriate, and it will not affect Russia’s wheat supplies as Moscow does not refuse to help poor countries," he said.

The agreement facilitating the supply of grain and fertilizers from the Black Sea ports of Russia and Ukraine was Moscow’s goodwill gesture, the expert noted. "However, the West and the UN leadership ignored it, failing to implement that part of the grain deal that concerned Russia’s interests. Now Europe will reap the fruits of their lack of foresight as they were the main recipients of the Ukrainian agricultural products that were delivered by sea," he added.

"The decision by the Russian government to quit the grain deal will create no threat to global food security," Diab believes. "On the contrary, Asian and African countries that previously received less wheat, barley and fertilizers than they were due because of Western powers’ fraudulent activities will stand to gain, whereas Russia, in continuing to supply grain to friendly countries at proper prices, will have its hands free to ensure security in the Black Sea zone," he explained.

The grain deal was terminated on July 17. After extending the agreement on the Black Sea corridor for vessels carrying Ukrainian grain in July 2022 several times, Russia noted that the part of the deal concerning it - the removal of obstacles for agricultural exports - was never fulfilled. Moscow also emphasized that though the agreements were aimed at delivering food to the poorest countries, the main portion of Ukrainian grain was supplied to developed Western countries. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said that Russia is ready to return to the agreement, but only when its part concerning Moscow is fulfilled.