The UN, Turkey, and Ukraine have all received notice from Russia that it will not renew a fundamental agreement that permitted them to ship grain over the Black Sea.
The agreements, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, came to a “de facto” conclusion on Monday.
The agreement allowed cargo ships from the ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Yuzhny/Pivdennyi to transit the Black Sea.
Moscow asserted that if the terms of the deal were met, it would return to it.
Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, has long complained that certain provisions of the agreement authorizing the sale of Russian food and fertilizers have not been upheld. He emphasized that food had not been delivered to less developed nations, which was required by the deal.
Additionally, Russia frequently lamented the restrictions imposed by Western sanctions on its own agricultural exports. Mr. Putin threatened to renege on the deal numerous times.
The nation’s foreign ministry reaffirmed these complaints on Monday, accusing the West of engaging in “open sabotage” and “selfishly” prioritizing the deal’s business interests over its humanitarian objectives.
But Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, told reporters that he thought Mr. Putin “wants to continue the agreement” and that they would talk about the renewal of the agreement when they meet in person next month.
The grain agreement is significant because Ukraine is among the top exporters of sunflower, maize, wheat, and barley.