Russian President Putin stated at the Eastern Economic Forum that it is necessary to limit the export of Ukrainian grain and food via the Black Sea as part of the "grain agreement".
This is reported by the Russian publication Kommersant.
He claims that almost all the grain goes to EU countries, and not, as expected, to African and needy countries that could suffer from famine.
"If we exclude Turkey as an intermediary country, then all, almost all grain exported from Ukraine is directed not to the developing and poorest countries, but to the EU countries [...]. Only two ships were loaded under the UN World Food Program, which provides aid to the countries most in need. I emphasize, only two out of 87," Putin noted.
The President of the Russian Federation added that in this regard, Russia was "rudely abandoned" and "defrauded", therefore "it is worth thinking about limiting the directions of the export of grain and other food products."
"I will definitely consult with the President of Turkey Erdogan on this topic," Putin added.
- On July 22, Russia signed an agreement on unblocking the export of Ukrainian grain from the ports of Odesa, Pivdenny, and Chornomorsk. The agreement was signed by Ukraine, the Russian Federation, Turkey and the UN as a mediator. A day later, Russian troops bombarded the port of Odesa with missiles. On August 5, the first caravan of ships left the ports of Odesa.
- According to the UN, more than 200 ships have received permission to move through the safe corridor as part of this agreement. As of September 6, 2,212,972 tons of grain and food products were exported from the three specified ports.
- On September 6, Russiaʼs permanent representative to the UN Vasyl Nebenzia, said that the Russian Federation may refuse to extend the "grain agreement" in November — allegedly due to the blocking of Russian food exports through the Bosphorus.