The Kremlin on Tuesday issued a veiled warning over the future of grain exports from Ukraine following Moscow’s exit from a landmark deal allowing passage for cargo ships from three Ukraine ports.
Kyiv had said it was prepared to continue grain exports despite the Russian withdrawal, which sparked outrage from the United Nations and the West.
“Without appropriate security guarantees, certain risks arise here. If (a future agreement) is formalised without Russia, then these risks should be taken into account,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
He accused Ukraine of using the grain deal zone in the Black Sea for “combat purposes”.
The grain deal, brokered by the UN and Turkey, had enabled the export of more than 32 million tonnes of Ukrainian grain over the last year. — AFP
