Russian Putin: The Black Sea Grain Agreement Makes No Sense

July 24 (Reuters) – Russia has pulled out of the Black Sea grain deal that ensured the safe export of Ukrainian grain because the deal has lost its meaning, President Vladimir Putin wrote in an op-ed published early on Monday.

“The continuation of the ‘grain deal’ – which did not justify its humanitarian purpose – has lost its meaning,” Putin said, according to the article on the Kremlin website.

Saying Russia’s terms for the extension had been ignored, Moscow last week abandoned a deal that allowed Ukraine a year ago to export grain from Black Sea ports, despite the war, to ease the global food crisis.

The key demands presented by Putin last week for Moscow to return to the deal, however, did not directly refer to humanitarian purposes.

After leaving the deal, Russia has been pounding Ukrainian food export ports on an almost daily basis. An attack on Sunday in the southern port of Odessa killed one person and injured several others.

Writing ahead of the second Russia-Africa summit to be held in St Petersburg on Thursday and Friday, Putin said Russia expects a record harvest this year.

“I want to assure that our country is able to replace Ukrainian grain both commercially and free of charge, especially since we are again expecting a record harvest this year,” Putin said.

Russia and the West are increasingly competing for influence in Africa. Although Moscow has so far invested little there, according to evidence from the United Nations, Russia is on a diplomatic push to win the continent’s support.

During a March 2022 UN vote to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, 28 African nations voted in favor of the resolution, but 25 either abstained or did not vote at all.

“Russia will continue to work vigorously to organize the supply of grain, food, fertilizers and others to Africa: we highly value and continue to vigorously develop the entire range of economic ties with Africa,” Putin wrote.

Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne. Edited by Cynthia Osterman

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