Russia’s withdrawal from grain deal to elevate suffering worldwide - Canada's Joly

Russia’s decision to pull out of the Black Sea Grain Initiative will have strong implications for international food security.

That’s according to a statement by Mélanie Joly, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"Canada strongly condemns the decision of the Russian Federation to withdraw its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative (…) This reimposes a de facto blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, significantly affecting global food exports as well as security in the Black Sea,” Joly said.

The top diplomat called on Russia to immediately renew its participation in the agreement “to avoid any further shocks to global food systems already strained by its war of aggression against Ukraine.”

"This is a grave escalation of the weaponization of hunger by the Russian Federation, which previously obstructed the operations of the BSGI,” Joly stressed.

The decision made by the Russian Federation will lead to an increase of global food prices, impacting first and foremost emerging economies dependent on food imports, the foreign minister believes.

"Canada will continue to work with its partners to mitigate the impacts of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine on global food systems through humanitarian food and nutrition assistance as well as longer-term agriculture and food systems development assistance," the top diplomat concluded.

As reported earlier, Russia said it was terminating the extension of the grain agreement, concluded in Istanbul on July 22, 2022, initially for 120 days before being extended several times.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyi emphasized that the BSGI can operate without Russia’s participation of Russia, which is disrupting its own agreements with Türkiye and the UN, since Ukraine has concluded no agreements with the Russian Federation.