ST. PETERSBURG, July 27. /TASS/. Although the Black Sea Initiative grain deal had provided for lifting illegitimate obstacles to Russian exports of grain and fertilizer to global markets, none of Russia’s conditions were ever fulfilled, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted at the plenary session of the Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum.
"Among other things, Russia agreed to participate in the so-called deal, taking into account the commitments it contained that illegitimate obstacles to the export of our grain and fertilizers to global markets would be removed," the Russian leader said.
"In actual fact, nothing of what we discussed or what we were promised ever materialized," Putin lamented. "None of the conditions providing for the lifting of sanctions on Russian grain and fertilizer exports to global markets were implemented, not a single one of them," he emphasized.
The grain deal expired on July 17. In exiting the deal, Moscow, which had agreed to several extensions of the July 2022 Istanbul agreements creating the Black Sea corridor for ships carrying Ukrainian grain, cited the failure of its deal partners to fulfil the Russia-related provisions of the deal, which called for removing obstacles to Russian agricultural exports. Moscow also noted that, although the Istanbul agreements were intended to ensure food security for the neediest countries, the bulk of Ukraine’s grain actually went to wealthy Western countries. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow could consider resuming the grain deal if all of the Russia-related provisions are in fact implemented.