KYIV: Russia said on Wednesday it would resume its participation in a deal freeing up grain exports from wartorn Ukraine, reversing a move that world leaders had said threatened to exacerbate global hunger. Moscow announced the sudden reversal after Turkiye and the UN helped keep Ukrainian grain flowing for several days without Russian participation in inspections.
The Russian defence ministry justified the u-turn by saying it had received guarantees from Kyiv not to use the Black Sea grain corridor for military operations against Russia. Kyiv did not comment on that, but has denied in the past that it used the agreed shipping corridor as cover for attacks.
“Russian considers the guarantees received at the moment appear sufficient, and resumes the implementation of the agreement,” the Russian ministry said. However, Russian President Putin said on Wednesday that Moscow reserved the right to withdraw again from the deal. Putin said that, in return for rejoining the pact, Russia had demanded guarantees that Ukraine would not launch attacks from parts of the Black Sea covered by the deal. He also added that if Moscow did withdraw from the deal again, it wouldn’t impede grain shipments fromUkraine to Turkiye. Turkish President Tayyib Erdogan said Russian defence ministerSergei Shoigu had told his Turkish counterpart that the deal would resume.
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