Ukraine says Russia has brought grain deal to critical situation
Ukraine's Deputy Minister for Communities, Territories, and Infrastructure Development Yuriy Vaskov has said that Russia has brought the implementation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative to a critical point.
Vaskov said this in an interview with The Guardian published on Tuesday.
As part of the grain deal, representatives of Russia, Turkey, and the UN inspect ships on their way to and from Ukrainian ports. A joint commission agrees on the names of the ships to be inspected.
On Tuesday, according to the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine, no inspections took place.
The Ukrainian side submitted the names of three bulk carriers, as stipulated in the agreement. However, the Russians crossed out these names and submitted other vessels from the current queue of 50 vessels. As a result, not a single vessel could continue its journey, which is a de facto blockade by Moscow.
"Today we have a critical situation. The Russians have violated the terms of the Black Sea Grain Initiative. They decided to unilaterally change the plans of Ukrainian ports. This is unacceptable," Vaskov emphasized.
He added that if Russia continues the blockade, global food prices could rise by 15%. As a result, Ukrainian farmers will be forced to stockpile grain again, as they did last summer, and will face serious financial difficulties.
Author - Olena Madiak, 11/04/2023
