Lavrov sees no reason to extend Black Sea grain deal

(Patria) - Russia has said it sees no reason to extend the Black Sea grain deal after July 17 because
the West has acted in such an "outrageous" manner regarding the agreement, but has assured poor
countries that Russian grain exports will continue, Reuters reported.

The United Nations and Turkey mediated the Black Sea Grain Initiative last July to
help resolve a global food crisis exacerbated by Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and the blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports. The agreement allows the export of food and
fertilizer from three Ukrainian ports - Chornomorsk, Odesa, and Pivdennyi. The deal has been extended three times.

"The West's attitude towards this agreement is outrageous," Sergey Lavrov told reporters,
specifically pointing to the positions of the United States and the United Kingdom.
Lavrov said one of the last straws for Russia was the attack on the Togliatti-Odesa ammonia pipeline, an attack for which he blamed Ukraine, which in turn
accused Russia of damaging it. "I don't see what arguments can be made by those who would
like to continue the Black Sea Initiative," Lavrov said.

Russia and Ukraine are two of the world's largest agricultural producers and major players in the
markets for wheat, barley, corn, rapeseed, canola, sunflower seeds, and sunflower oil.

Russia is also dominant in the fertilizer market.

If the deal fails, Russia will continue to export grain, Lavrov said. "If the Black Sea Initiative ceases to function, we will provide free grain supplies on a comparable or larger scale to the poorest countries at our own expense," Lavrov said.

Between 2018 and 2020, Africa imported $3.7 billion worth of wheat (32% of total African wheat imports) from Russia and $1.4 billion from Ukraine (12% of total African wheat imports), according to the United Nations.