‘Termination’ or ‘suspension’: Russia avoids clarity on grain deal – Kuleba

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba said this to reporters at the UN headquarters on Monday, an Ukrinform correspondent in New York reported.

"This is an irresponsible step that endangers global food security," the minister emphasized, commenting on Russia's statements.

He said that he had held a number of conversations, including with the UN Secretary-General, on how to proceed further “because the functioning of corridors, sea and land corridors for the exports of Ukrainian cereals to the global market must continue.”

“And now, you know we all have a headache, we have to solve yet another problem created by Russia,” Kuleba said.

According to him, if there is political will, the way out will be found. So “very intensive consultations at all levels” will be held in the next hours and days, the minister added.

According to him, consultations are also being held with the International Maritime Organization on this issue.

The minister noted that after Russia did not guarantee the safety of any ship that might try to carry Ukrainian grain.

“But all in all, we have to understand one simple thing as long as Russia is in Crimea, Russia will believe that it can blackmail and impose its will on anyone. These problems will continue, we will solve this one in a month or two, they will come up with another one. So the best way to solve the problem is actually to defeat Russia and to make them withdraw,” Kuleba stressed.

He noted that Ukraine had never negotiated a grain agreement with the Russian Federation, and two separate documents had been signed last year: one memorandum between Ukraine, Türkiye, and the UN, and another between the UN, Türkiye, and Russia.

"Russia itself is avoiding clarity, because in one text they speak about termination, then in another comment they speak about suspension,” Ukraine’s top diplomat said.

Accordingly, some are “far less optimistic” and others are “slightly more optimistic” about the prospects of this deal.

As reported, Dmytro Kuleba is on a working visit to New York where he arrived to participate in the UN Security Council meeting and the open debate of the UN General Assembly on the situation in Ukraine.

On Monday, Russia announced that it had withdrawn from the Black Sea Grain Initiative.