Countdown to the Black Sea Grain Deal Deadline..."Last Export Ship Departs on the 15th"

Concerns Over Food Crisis Spread Amid Russia's Refusal to Extend Grain Agreement
Putin: "Grain Agreement Is Not Being Properly Implemented"

As the expiration of the Black Sea Grain Export Agreement approaches, the global food crisis is resurfacing. Concerns are growing that the agreement may be completely terminated as the Russian government continues to refuse its extension. It is already reported that the passage of grain export trade ships has been halted since last weekend, which is expected to further worsen the food shortages in the Middle East and Africa.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

On the 16th (local time), Russia's TASS news agency quoted a United Nations (UN) source saying, "The grain agreement is set to expire on the 17th, but nothing has been decided yet regarding the contract renewal," adding, "We are waiting for Russia's response, but it has not come yet. The last grain export ship departed from Odesa on the 15th, and there have been no grain vessels entering the Black Sea since the end of last month."

Russia is pressuring Ukraine and the West over the extension of the grain agreement. Russian President Vladimir Putin, on the 16th, during a phone call with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, stated that "the removal of tariffs on food exports and the resumption of fertilizer exports, which are Russia's interests, are important for the extension of the agreement," and criticized that "(the agreement) does not reflect Russia's interests at all."

As a result, there are concerns that the grain agreement may be completely discarded. If the grain agreement is not extended and is terminated, it is expected that grain prices worldwide will surge again immediately, especially affecting extremely poor countries in the Middle East and Africa.

The U.S. government also stated that it is closely monitoring the situation. Jake Sullivan, U.S. National Security Advisor at the White House, emphasized in an interview with CBS's Face the Nation program on the same day, "It is unclear what decision President Putin will make," and "We are preparing for any scenario and are working closely with Ukraine on this."

Meanwhile, the Black Sea Grain Agreement, mediated by the UN and T?rkiye in July last year, is a quadripartite agreement between Ukraine, Russia, the UN, and T?rkiye. It allows grain exports through ports that Russia had blockaded following the Ukraine war. The grain passes through a safe corridor in the Black Sea via Ukrainian vessels and is then exported worldwide through the Bosporus Strait.

The grain agreement, renewed for the third time in May, is set to expire on the 17th, but it has not yet been renewed as Russia has not responded to negotiations. The UN recently proposed a negotiation plan to reconnect Russia's Agricultural Bank with the international SWIFT payment system, but Russia has expressed refusal.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.