Russia announced Monday that it would suspend its involvement in an agreement with Ukraine that has enabled both countries to continue exporting grains amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of the neighboring nation. The breakdown of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, threatened to drive global food prices back up and underscored the tension between the two sides as Ukraine pushes a grinding counteroffensive against Russia’s nearly 17-month invasion.
“The Russians sent a letter this morning to the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul announcing the termination of their participation in the Black Sea Initiative,” a U.N. official told CBS News.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced the move in Moscow on Monday, calling it a suspension rather than a termination, however. He repeated a complaint that Russia has made since the deal was first agreed last year, arguing that the U.S. and Ukraine’s other international partners weren’t allowing the pact to be carried out fairly by making it impossible for Russia to export some agricultural products.
“When the part of the Black Sea deal related to Russia is implemented, Russia will immediately return to the implementation of the deal,” Peskov told reporters.
Read more at CBSnews.com
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