Ease as Russia Rejoins Ukraine Grain Deal

By Adedapo Adesanya

Amid worries about global food supply, some level of ease is expected to return as Russia said on Wednesday it was resuming its participation in an agreement facilitating the shipment of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea.

“The Russian Federation considers that the guarantees received at the moment appear sufficient and resumes the implementation of the agreement,” the defence ministry said in a statement.

Russia suspended its participation on Saturday after alleging Ukraine used drones to attack the Russian Black Sea fleet.

The United Nations and Turkey brokered an agreement in July with Russia and Ukraine to resume Ukrainian grain shipments and allow for Russian shipments of fertilizer amid a global food crisis.

In a statement issued by his spokesman, U.N. Secretary-General Mr Antonio Guterres “warmly” welcomed the announcement from the Russian Federation on its resumed participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

Mr Guterres said he “continues his engagement with all actors toward the renewal and full implementation of the initiative, and he also remains committed to removing the remaining obstacles to the exports of Russian food and fertilizer.”

Russia’s suspension interrupted shipments in recent days while the other parties to the scheme worked to get some shipments out of Ukrainian ports and to carry out some of the inspections in Istanbul called for under the deal.

On his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed the agreement Wednesday as “a significant diplomatic result for our country and the whole world” after Russia rejoined a deal.

When Russian troops attacked in late February, the country imposed a blockade on Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, halting all agricultural exports from one of the world’s breadbaskets.

The move left 20 million metric tons of grain stranded in Ukraine’s ports, causing food prices to surge worldwide.

Before the war, up to 90 per cent of Ukraine’s wheat, corn and sunflower exports were transported by sea, mostly from Odesa, with many developing countries relying heavily on Ukraine for grain.