1667468670 Russia changes course and joins the grain export agreement from

Russia changes course and joins the grain export agreement from Ukraine

Why have wheat and corn prices gone up? 0:56

(CNN) — Russia has rejoined the deal, which guarantees the safe passage of ships carrying vital grain exports from Ukraine, just days after announcing it would suspend its participation in the pact, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.

Moscow suspended its involvement in the deal on Saturday, citing drone strikes on the city of Sevastopol in occupied Crimea. On Wednesday, Russia’s Defense Ministry said it had received “guarantees” allowing it to resume the program.

“The Russian Federation considers that the guarantees received seem sufficient for the time being and resumes the implementation of the agreement,” the ministry said in a statement published on its official Telegram channel.

Russia blames Ukraine for the Sevastopol attacks. Ukraine has not confirmed that its forces have attacked the city and the extent of the damage to the Russian ships is unclear.

Turkey says the deal will go ahead on Wednesday

After talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said the deal would go ahead on Wednesday afternoon Turkish time, according to Turkey’s state-run Anadolu News Agency.

“Following our phone call with Putin yesterday, grain deliveries will continue as planned from noon today,” Erdogan said at a party meeting in parliament on Wednesday.

Erdogan will discuss the grain deal with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later on Wednesday, Anadolu reports.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) shakes hands with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) during a meeting in Sochi August 5, 2022. (Photo by Vyacheslav Prokofiev and Vyacheslav PROKOFIEV / POOL / AFP)

Turkey, along with the United Nations, participated in the negotiations on the agreement last July.

The agreement established a procedure ensuring the safety of ships transporting grain, fertilizers and other Ukrainian foodstuffs through a Black Sea humanitarian corridor. Under the agreement, all ships calling in and leaving Ukrainian ports were inspected and monitored by international teams made up of officials from Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the UN.

US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield told CNN she was “delighted” that the deal was being revived.

“[El acuerdo] provides the necessary food for the world, so Russia was finally convinced that they must continue this, they cannot help themselves to feed the whole world,” he told CNN This Morning.

world food

Ukraine plays a key role in the global food market, so Russia’s suspension of the deal raised serious concerns at a time when the world is already facing a growing food crisis.

Russia announced that it would return to the agreement on grain exports from Ukraine

The Sierra Leonean-flagged cargo ship Razoni with more than 26,000 tons of Ukrainian grain on board left the port of Odessa region on Monday.

According to the United Nations, Ukraine normally supplies the world with about 45 million tons of grain a year. It is among the top five exporters of barley, corn and wheat in the world. It is also by far the largest exporter of sunflower oil, accounting for 46% of global exports.

In normal times, Ukraine would export about three quarters of the grain produced. According to European Commission data, around 90% of these exports were previously shipped by sea from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports.

But when Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in late February, it effectively imposed a blockade on ships leaving Ukrainian ports. The impact of the war on world food markets was imminent and painful, especially as Ukraine is a major grain supplier to the World Food Programme. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, a UN agency, said up to 47 million people could be pushed into “acute food insecurity” because of the war.

The Black Sea Agreement brought much-needed relief. The United Nations estimates that cuts in the price of basic foodstuffs as a result of the deal have indirectly saved about 100 million people from falling into extreme poverty.

It further added that as of Monday, more than 9.5 million tonnes of food had been exported under the deal since it came into effect in the summer.

Anna Chernova, Hande Atay and Stephanie Halasz contributed to this report.