MOSCOW, July 17. /TASS/. The Black Sea initiative will terminate starting July 18, the maritime humanitarian corridor will be closed, while the Joint Coordination Center (JCC) in Istanbul will be disbanded, according to a statement released by the Russian Foreign Ministry on Monday.
The ministry noted the package nature of the agreements on the supply of Ukrainian food and Russian ammonia and the Russian-UN memorandum on the normalization of exports of Russian agricultural products and fertilizers. "A year later, the results of the work on implementation of the agreements in question look disappointing," the ministry said.
"Amid <…> outright sabotage of the implementation of the Istanbul agreements, the extension of the Black Sea initiative that has fallen short of its humanitarian purpose, makes no sense," the statement reads. "In accordance with Clause N of the agreement the, Russian side objects to its further extension, "about which the Turkish and Ukrainian sides were officially informed today, as well as the UN Secretariat. This means revoking navigation safety guarantees, closing the maritime humanitarian corridor, going back to a situation where the northwestern waters of the Black Sea will be temporarily risky to cross and disbanding the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul. Without Russia’s participation, the Black Sea initiative ceases to exist starting July 18," according to the statement.
The implementation of the agreements within the framework of the Black Sea initiative was launched in short order, which "vividly confirmed the conscientious and prudent approach of Russian representatives to fulfilling their commitments as a side to agreement," the Russian MFA said.
"However, contrary to the announced humanitarian goals the supply of Ukrainian food was almost immediately shifted to a purely commercial basis and until the last moment was aimed at serving the mercenary interests of Kiev and its Western sponsors. The facts and figures, as they say, speak for themselves. For the duration of the Black Sea initiative a total of 32.8 mln tons of cargoes were delivered, of which more than 70% (26.3 mln tons) were supplied to countries with high and above average levels of income, including the EU. The poorest countries, Ethiopia, Yemen, Afghanistan, Sudan and Somalia in particular, accounted for less than 3%, or 922,092 tons," the document said.
"Western corporations Cargill, DuPont and Monsanto" own "the bulk of Ukrainian farmland," according to the statement. "On the other hand, the Europeans that buy Ukrainian food at artificially lowered prices, later process it at their facilities to be further resold as ready products with high added value. In fact, the West makes double - on sale and on processing of grain. Moreover, the US and the EU cash in on prices by creating artificial shortages of goods and they squeeze Russian agricultural products out from global markets by introducing illegal unilateral sanctions," the ministry noted.
Russia will be able to consider the resumption of the grain deal only if it sees real results, not promises and assurances, according to the statement.
"If Western capitals really value the Black Sea initiative let them seriously ponder meeting their commitments and actually removing Russian fertilizers and food from sanctions. Only with concrete results, not promises and assurances received, Russia will be able to consider the resumption of the deal," the ministry concluded.
The agreements on export of food from Ukraine were concluded on July 22, 2022 in Istanbul for 120 days, and later they were extended thrice.