Ukraine asks partners to increase pressure on Russia to unblock exports from Black Sea ports

Despite the continued operation of the grain corridor, Russian representatives in the JCC continue to block inspections of ships heading to the port of Pivdennyi, so Ukraine asks its partners to increase pressure on Russia to resolve the situation.

Foreign Minister Kuleba met with the head of the African Union (which includes 55 African countries), President of the Union of the Comoros Azali Assoumani and the head of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat, and urged them to appeal to Russia to stop obstructing the grain deal.

“Grain exports from Ukraine help African countries to get the food they need, so we call on the African Union to tell Russia that it is unacceptable to use food as a weapon and that such a policy is unacceptable,” Kuleba emphasized.

The U.S. State Department said that Russia is violating the terms of the grain deal by blocking the entry of ships to one of Ukraine’s ports. “The parties agreed on unimpeded grain exports from three Ukrainian ports, but Russia is not allowing ships to enter one of them, which is a violation of its obligations under the grain deal,” said US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.

In a joint statement, the G7 countries also called for the full implementation of the grain deal and the expansion of the range of supplies.

By blocking the port of Pivdennyi, Russia is demanding that the transit and export of Russian ammonia from the port be resumed, but the Ukrainian government says that the agreed grain deal does not include transit through the Togliatti-Odesa ammonia pipeline. To resume ammonia transit through Ukraine, an additional agreement is needed, which Ukraine will only agree to if the terms of the grain deal are expanded.

“We believe that if the agreement includes transit through the ammonia pipeline, Ukraine should receive additional things that would be in its national interest, such as expanding the geography of the agreement and the range of goods for export through the grain corridor,” a government source told the national media.

Earlier, Yuriy Vaskov, Deputy Minister of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine, said that the grain deal is a temporary solution to the problem, so Ukraine needs a complete unblocking of ports without any restrictions from the aggressor. Ukraine calls on its partners and international organizations to increase pressure on Russia to ensure free navigation in the Black Sea, as this will also help reduce world prices for grain and mining and metallurgical products.

Tags: restrictions, Black Sea grain corridor