Russia has announced its withdrawal from a U.N.-brokered agreement with Ukraine that established ‘no-fire’ grain corridors out of the Black Sea. This deal has allowed both countries, despite being at war, to export wheat and other cereals for the past 12 months. The cancellation of the agreement was announced by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who has also mentioned the possibility of reviving it in the future. However, Peskov stated that the agreement was terminated due to Russia’s concerns over unfulfilled obligations from the Ukrainian side. If these obligations are fulfilled, Russia will immediately resume its implementation of the deal. Russia’s frustration with what it perceives as unfair restrictions on its grain and fertilizer exports has been growing.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has strongly criticized Russia’s decision to terminate the agreement, vowing to find alternative ways to ensure the global market receives the necessary grain. She condemned Russia’s move as cynical and emphasized the European Union’s commitment to food security for vulnerable populations. The deal was initially put in place last July to address global shortages and stabilize wheat and cereal prices caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Extensions of the agreement had been granted multiple times, but recent extensions had been reduced in duration. Peskov clarified that Russia’s opposition to the latest extension was unrelated to the incident involving the damaged Crimean Bridge, a strategically important structure linking Russia with Crimea.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who negotiated the most recent extension, expressed his belief that Russian President Vladimir Putin did not truly intend to terminate the agreement. Erdogan pledged to discuss the matter with Putin ahead of an upcoming summit between Ankara and Moscow in August.
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