International Writing (EFE).- The agreement for the export of Ukrainian grain through the ports of the Black Sea, which was established to alleviate the cereal deficit in the extremely poor economies, especially in Africa, has been suspended by Russia.
“The grain agreement is suspended,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said in his daily telephone press conference on Monday, who said he verified that the commitments agreed with them had not been fulfilled.
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Kiev’s grain exports have been strongly affected to the point of becoming a weapon of war.
With the mediation of Turkey and the UN, the Ukrainian authorities had managed to get Russia to gradually extend various agreements to unblock the gradual release of its grains from the Black Sea ports.
But Russia has decided to suspend it. In exchange for the unblocking, Russia demanded the connection of its agricultural bank, Rosseljozbank, to the SWIFT international banking system, the lifting of sanctions on spare parts for agricultural machinery, the unblocking of logistics and transport insurance, the unfreezing of assets and the resumption of the supply through the ammonia pipeline of the Togliatti-Odessa gas pipeline, which exploded on June 5, 2023.
Before the war, Ukraine was the world’s fourth largest producer of barley, seventh in wheat with 33 million tons, and sixth in the case of corn.
Timeline of the crisis
2022
March – Ukraine begins to show difficulties in exporting its grain after the Russian invasion on February 24. Kiev accuses Moscow of “stealing” hundreds of thousands of tons from Russia-occupied Ukrainian territories in the east and south of the country and selling it to other countries.
June 8.- Pro-Russians from the Zaporizhia region, in the Ukrainian south and 80% occupied, admit that they send Ukrainian cereal to Turkey and the Middle East. Days later, kyiv denounces that an attack on a warehouse destroyed 300,000 tons of grain.
June 20.- Ukraine manages to export 1.5 million tons of grain per month by land on roads that are not damaged.
July 13.- Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the UN reach an agreement in Istanbul to export Ukrainian cereals, which amount to more than 20 million tons, blocked in the Black Sea ports, and which could not go to the markets international.
July 23.- Ukraine says that Russia attacked Odessa, a key for grain exports and, after the agreement, on August 1 the first ship leaves this port.
October 29.-Moscow suspends the agreement to export grain after an attack on Sevastopol, the main base of the Russian fleet, and for which it blames the West.
November 3.- Seven ships leave Ukraine with 10 million tons of grain after resuming the agreement mediated by the UN. On November 17, the agreement is extended for four months and in March 2023 for another two.
2023
March 18.- kyiv announces a 120-day extension thanks to Turkey and the UN.
May 17.- Agreement in extremis with the mediation of Turkey to resume the export of grain through the Black Sea for two more months.
July 4.- Russia says that ships carrying grain from Ukrainian ports must leave the Black Sea before the Istanbul agreement expires on the 17th, after reiterating that there are no grounds for a new extension.
Russia’s demands are: the connection of its agricultural bank, Rosseljozbank, to the SWIFT international banking system, the lifting of sanctions on spare parts for agricultural machinery, the unblocking of logistics and transport insurance, the unfreezing of assets and the resumption of supply via the Togliatti-Odesa ammonia pipeline, which exploded on June 5.
July 12.- The UN proposes to facilitate financial transactions to Russia, interrupted after the invasion, to save the grain agreement.