US accuses Russia of committing ‘another act of cruelty’ to suspend grain deal

The United States accused Russia of committing “another act of brutality” by suspending Black Sea agreements on Monday allowing Ukrainian grain exports, “dealing another blow to the world’s most vulnerable countries.”

Speaking to reporters at the entrance to a UN Security Council meeting, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield stressed that the Black Sea accords have brought stability to food prices in a world where 345 million people live with high rates of food insecurity, “a number that has grown since “brutal war against Ukraine”.

“This is what happens when a country decides to take the whole of humanity hostage,” he insisted, urging the international community to force Russia to reverse the decision, return to negotiations and expand the scope of the agreements.

“While Russia is playing political games, real people are suffering,” he said.

Brokered by Turkey and the UN, Kiev and Moscow agreed a year ago on a series of security measures for ships carrying Ukrainian grain to international markets, a pact known as the Black Sea Initiative that expired this Monday. , fair.

Russia has decided to suspend the deal on the grounds that the sanctions it faces over its aggression against Ukraine prevent it from fulfilling the part of the pact that should also guarantee Russian food and fertilizer exports.

“In practice, the Black Sea agreements were supposed to expire today. Unfortunately, that part of the agreement on the Black Sea, which concerns Russia, has not been implemented. That’s why, [o acordo] is losing its power,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today.

At the same time, he assured that “as soon as the Russian part is completed,” Moscow “immediately returns to the application of this agreement.”