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German Foreign Minister says 32 mln tons of grain blocked in Ukraine

The grain deal expired on July 17

BRUSSELS, 20 July. /TASS/. According to Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany Annalena Baerbock, 32 mln metric tons of grain is currently blocked in Ukraine as a result of the termination of the grain deal, she said on Thursday.

At the same time, Baerbock promised to boost collaboration with international partners to identify ways to export grain from Ukraine. She once again emphasized that hunger and grain should not be used as a weapon.

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 in July 2022, 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.

Putin said on Wednesday that Russia would be ready to return to the grain deal immediately if all previously agreed-upon conditions for its participation in the initiative are met and the arrangement's "original humanitarian essence" is restored. Moscow "is not against the grain deal as such" and "will consider the possibility of returning to it," but only if all previously agreed-upon conditions for participation are met.

Before that Russia repeatedly extended the grain deal, demonstrating "miracles of endurance and patience, tolerance," but no one was going to fulfill any responsibilities to the country, Putin said. In addition, the West fully perverted the grain deal's original humanitarian intent, turning it into a profit tool. Meanwhile, the grain deal led to direct losses for Russian farmers and fertilizer producers.

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