Russia on Wednesday issued an ultimatum to the United Nations, asking the organization to obtain “concrete results” on the application of the component on the export of Russian agri-food products included in the agreement on the export of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea, in order to return to the discussion table, Reuters and Agerpres reported.

“The UN still has three months to get the implementation (agreement) and concrete results,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

If the UN succeeds in persuading Western countries to implement the part of the agreement that concerns the lifting of restrictions on the export of Russian grain and fertilizers, indirectly complicated by the effect of Western financial sanctions against Russia, then Russia will return to negotiations on recovery. export of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea, she added.

In particular, in order to return to the agreement, Russia demanded to restore the connection of the Russian agricultural bank Rossilhospnadzor to the SWIFT international payment system, to loosen Western sanctions so that Russia could purchase spare parts for agricultural machinery and equipment, and to unblock transport logistics. and insurance, unlocking assets frozen by the West, and resuming Russian ammonia exports through the Tolyatti-Odesa pipeline, which runs through Ukraine and is in need of repair after the June 5 explosion, which Moscow believes was an act of Ukrainian sabotage.

Meanwhile, Ukraine is looking for options to safely continue exporting grain through its seaports, which were blocked by the Russian invasion and then restored by an agreement that allowed the opening of the grain export corridor.

Ukraine accuses Russia of trying to destroy its ports

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi on Wednesday called for increased international pressure on “terrorist state” Russia to persuade Moscow to return to the agreement and not sabotage Ukrainian grain exports, a reaction that came after two overnight Russian drone and missile attacks on the Odesa region.

According to the governor of this region, Oleg Kiper, “debris of the downed (Russian) missiles and the shock wave damaged the infrastructure of the port and several residential buildings,” and President Zelenskyi accused that “Russian terrorists absolutely deliberately attacked the infrastructural grain agreement” from the ports of Odesa and Chornomorsk.

In turn, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that it had attacked Ukrainian military facilities in the Odesa region, including fuel and ammunition depots.

Ukraine is one of the main exporters of grain, and the food security of many countries in Africa and Asia largely depends on Ukrainian grain.

But according to Moscow, the five poorest countries – Ethiopia, Yemen, Afghanistan, Sudan and Somalia – received only 2.6% of Ukrainian grain exported through the Black Sea after the conclusion of this agreement, while the state of Russian grain exports “continued to receive”. worse” because of Western sanctions.

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