On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Western countries were not living up to their end of the UN-brokered grain export deal that unlocked Ukraine’s Black Sea ports.
One part of the agreement was to help facilitate the export of Russian grain and fertilizer, which has been impeded due to Western sanctions. US sanctions on Russia technically have exemptions for grain and fertilizer, but the measures discourage shipping firms, insurance companies, and banks from doing business with Russia altogether.
“Our Western colleagues are not doing what we were promised by the UN Secretary-General,” Lavrov said. “They are not taking decisions to remove the logistic sanctions that prevent the free access of Russian grain and fertilizers to world markets.”
The US has previously tried to clarify to international businesses that sanctions on Russia don’t apply to shipments of grain and fertilizer, but it’s not clear if their clarifications had much impact.
Vasily Nebenzya, Russia’s envoy to the UN, said it’s possible the grain deal won’t be extended due to the lack of Russian exports. The agreement was signed in July and is meant to last 120 days but can be extended if the parties agree.
“We want to see the Russian part of the deal implemented so far,” Nebenzya said, according to the Russian news agency TASS. When asked if grain or fertilizer has been exported under the deal, he said, “No, nothing.”
When does the US government ever live up to its deals?
Exporting goods that are not under sanction never protects the person doing it. We indicted a Mexican CEO and imposed fines because he sold food to Venezuela. We just wave our magic wand and call all trade we are trying to stop, ‘money laundering’.
This is a bit of a sticky wicket… It seems more clarity is needed. Dicking around with countries food supplies is a slippery slope…
BWAHAHAHAHAHA! Russia STILL would like to trust the U.S. of A?? Look, trusting us is beyond the normal realm of understanding. No country can trust us. Even allies.
To be an enemy of the U.S. is dangerous. To be a friend is fatal.
Over the last several years, Russian exports of grain and fertilizer were more than twice those of Ukraine. That is to be expected, because it is three times bigger in population and shares the same Steppe landscape.
If we are concerned about the impact on the rest of the world of the loss of food and fertilizer, then we must ensure Russia delivers.
If we are concerned only to let Ukraine gets cash so it can pay us more toward weapons delivered, then we can do as we are doing.
Similarly, Countries that rely on grain from Russia know exactly what is happening. If their people suffer, they will know who to blame.
The West doesn’t care about the loss of food to the rest of the world. 97% of this Ukrainian grain is going to Europe.
Was Russia having problems shipping/selling grain and fertilizer before invading Ukraine?
Nations that don’t abide by the deals they sign have no grounds to complain when their adversaries do the same. Moreover, as happened to Trump in Iran, they risk a scenario where nobody will be willing to negotiate with them.
Russia could broadcast to Maritime insurers, “Deal is off. We can no longer guarantee the safety of ships leaving Ukrainian ports”
No ship will leave port without maritime insurance.