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Russia terminates Black Sea grains deal amid escalating tension with Ukraine

By lauraharris // 2023-07-27

Russia announced on July 17 its withdrawal from the United Nations-brokered grain export deal that allowed Ukraine to transport grain through the Black Sea. The Black Sea grain export deal, brokered by the UN and Turkey between Russia and Ukraine in July 2022, allowed Ukraine to export hundreds of thousands of tons of food and help bring down global food prices. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claimed that the termination of the deal stemmed from the failure to meet its demands to implement a parallel agreement easing rules for Russia's own grain and fertilizer exports. (Related: Russia halts Black Sea grain deal but denies its connection to Ukrainian sea drone attack.) Peskov even made assurances that "as soon as the Russian part [of the deal] is fulfilled, the Russian side will immediately return to the implementation of this deal." In response to the withdrawal of Russia, Ukraine's Defense Ministry warned that from midnight of July 20, it could target all shipping from Russian and Russian-occupied ports. It added that any ships navigating these ports "may be considered by Ukraine as such carrying military cargo with all the associated risks." "The fate of the cruiser Moskva proves that the defense forces of Ukraine have the necessary means to repel Russian aggression at sea," the ministry said, alluding to the sinking of the flagship of Russia's Black Sea Fleet last year. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his Defense Ministry, appealed to the UN and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to extend the grain deal even without Russia, calling on both to "ensure the work of the food corridor" and take charge of the "inspection of ships."

Termination of Black Sea grain deal likely a result of Ukraine escalating tensions with Russia

Moscow clarified that its decision to suspend recognition of the grain deal was decided even before Ukraine launched several attacks that the former considered as "terrorist acts." However, the Russian Defense Ministry has responded to Ukrainian provocations against Crimea by launching its own drone and cruise missile strikes on Ukrainian-held Black Sea ports in Odessa, Mykolaiv and other locations. The ministry claimed that the strikes targeted facilities where terrorist acts against Russia were being prepared using uncrewed boats. One of the attacks that Russia is reportedly responding to was the Ukrainian Security Service's deployment of maritime drones against the Kerch Strait Bridge, which connects Russian-occupied Crimea to the rest of Russia. That drone attack reportedly caused significant damage to the bridge, limiting Moscow's ability to connect with its troops in southern Ukraine. Crimean authorities said that while the bridge was damaged, the railroad track running parallel to the bridge remains intact and is still transporting vital supplies to the people in the peninsula. Peskov and other Russian government spokespeople continue to claim that Russia's suspension of the grain deal was not in any way influenced by the attacks. The latest news about the war in Ukraine can be found at WWIII.news. Watch this video to learn more about the Ukrainian attack on the Crimean Bridge and its connection to the end of the grain deal.

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Russia halts participation in Ukraine grain deal following “massive” Ukrainian drone attack on Black Sea fleet.

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Sources include:  TheNewAmerican.com Reuters.com 1 Reuters.com 2

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