Zelensky announced plans to export grain without Russia’s consent

Ukraine intends to continue exporting grain through the Black Sea Corridor, despite Russia’s withdrawal from the deal, President Volodymyr Zelensky said interview with African media, excerpts from which tips his press secretary Sergei Nikiforov.

“We are not afraid. Companies that own ships have approached us. <…> If Ukraine produces [грузы из портов]and Türkiye will pass, then everyone is ready to continue grain deliveries,” he said.

Zelensky reminded that Ukraine did not have any agreements with Russia, therefore, speaking of withdrawing from the “grain agreement”, Moscow is at odds with agreements with the UN and Turkey.

He added that he had instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to prepare “official signals” to the UN and Ankara as to whether they were ready to continue the agricultural export initiative.

Ukraine’s allies must launch ‘Grain Corridor’ military patrol in response to Russia’s withdrawal from deal decided Advisor to the Chancellery of the President of Ukraine Mykhailo Podoliak. He noted that grain cannot be a legitimate military target, and that the Black Sea is not Russia’s inland water area and is not under its jurisdiction.

On Monday, July 17, the Kremlin announced the termination of the “grain deal”, noting that it was hers the section on Russia has not yet been completed. Moscow has officially notified Turkey, Ukraine and the UN of its refusal to renew the agreement, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

From July 18, the coordination center in Istanbul, which issued permits for the passage of grain carriers, will be dissolved. Russia is also withdrawing shipping security guarantees for the humanitarian corridor and restoring the regime of the temporarily dangerous area in the north-western part of the Black Sea.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan decidedthat the “grain agreement” has gone down in history as an important diplomatic success and intends to discuss its fate with Russian President Vladimir Putin in August. “More than 33 million tons of grain products have been shipped. Many countries have managed to avoid being drawn into the food crisis. <…> I believe Putin wants this humanitarian bridge to continue,” Erdogan said.

The UN said it had received a notification from Russia about its withdrawal from the “grains deal”. They noted that despite this, Secretary General António Guterres “will not cease his efforts to promote unrestricted access to global food and fertilizer markets from both Ukraine and the Russian Federation in order to maintain global food security.”

The agreement, known as the Black Sea Grain Initiative, was concluded in July 2022 in Istanbul. As part of the agreements signed through the UN by representatives of Moscow, Kiev and Ankara, Russia agreed to unblock the ports and not to interfere in the export of Ukrainian food. The contract was extended several times. As a result, 33 million tons of agricultural products reached the world markets.

At the same time, Russia signed a “memorandum of understanding” with the UN, which undertook to help remove barriers to the export of Russian fertilizers and food. However, this document had no legal force, and its content emphasized that it did not impose any obligations on the parties concerned. Despite this, Russia insisted that the two documents were “bundled”, i.e. linked to each other, and accused the West of failing to meet the terms of the agreement.