NPR reported that Russia announced its suspension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, an UN-brokered deal concluded to secure grain export from Ukraine via the Black Sea. Russia’s Foreign Ministry said, on October 29th, that it was exiting the agreement for an “undetermined period.”
The same source states that this decision was made against the backdrop of Russia’s Defense Ministry’s accusations of Ukrainian drones attacking Russian ships in the Black Sea that were stationed there to ensure the smooth running of the agreement.
The suspension of the deal was met with condemnation from American officials, with Secretary of State Anthony Blinken stating: “in suspending this arrangement, Russia is again weaponizing food in the war it started, directly impacting low- and middle-income countries and global food prices, and exacerbating already dire humanitarian crises and food insecurity,” and US President Biden describing the move as “purely outrageous,” says Reuters.
The UN urged Russia and Ukraine to refrain from putting a deal at risk that ensures millions of people’s food security. The UN statement also reads that more than 9 million tons of grain and other food products have been exported under the deal, contributing to lower wheat prices and other commodities.
According to Reuters, Zelenskiy stated in a video address that “this is a completely transparent attempt by Russia to return to the threat of large-scale famine for Africa, for Asia,” adding that Russia should be kicked out of the G20.