Moscow could pull the trigger and suspend its participation in the Black Sea grain deal if sanctions and other obstacles to Russian exports remain the way they have been. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov issued the threat during his visit to Turkey, which had helped broker the agreement last year along with the United Nations.
“If there is no further progress in removing barriers to the export of Russian fertilisers and grain, we will think about whether this deal is necessary,” Lavrov was quoted as saying by AFP.
“Any negotiation needs to be based on taking into account Russian interests, Russian concerns. It should be about the principles on which the new world order will be based.”
He added that Moscow rejected a unipolar world order led by ‘one hegemon’, referring to the USA which it alleges has been using Kyiv to push its agenda.
Erdogan announced deal extension last month
The development comes a couple of weeks after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the extension of the deal. Hours before the agreement was set to expire on March 19, Erdogan in a televised address announced that the two parties sat across the table and agreed on the extension.
“Following talks with the two parties, we have assured the extension of the deal that was due to expire on March 19,” said the Turkish president.
It wasn’t specified for how long the deal had been extended but Ankara earlier said it was in favour of a 120-day extension compared to Moscow’s 60-day extension.
“This deal is of vital importance for the global food supply. I thank Russia and Ukraine, who didn’t spare their efforts for a new extension, as well as the United Nations secretary general.”
Russia scrapping the deal
Notably, this is not the first instance when Russia has issued a threat for scrapping the deal. Last year in October, Moscow pulled out of the deal citing alleged drone attacks on Russian ships in the Crimea Bay as the reason.
“In light of the terrorist act carried out by the Kyiv regime with the participation of British experts against ships of the Black Sea fleet and civilian vessels involved in the security of grain corridors, Russia suspends its participation in the implementation of the agreement on the export of agricultural products from Ukrainian ports,” read the statement.
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the supply of grain shipments through the region was halted which nearly triggered a global food crisis before Turkey and the UN brokered the deal.
(With inputs from agencies)
