“Grain Deal”. Have you noticed the Russian demarche?

Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations decided to suspend the operation of the “grain corridor” under the Black Sea Grain Initiative for Wednesday, November 2.

Russia has announced its suspension of participation in the so-called “grain deal”, which allows Ukraine to export grain abroad, but it cannot derail transit. The UN, Turkey and Ukraine intend to continue transporting the grain. True, on Wednesday, November 2, the parties decided to suspend the operation of the “grain corridor”, but globally it will not change anything.

Without Russia

In fact, the “grain agreement” can work even without the participation of the Russian side, if it is the will of the Turkish President Erdogan, and the implementation of this situation has already begun, and Putin on the very next day began to indicate that the Russian Federation is ready to return to the agreement.

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar noted that Ankara will continue to implement the Black Sea Grain Initiative in the same way as it did before Russia announced the suspension of participation in it.

“Immediately after the signing of the agreement, grain prices dropped significantly. We want this to continue in the future. We, as Turkey, have fulfilled and will continue to fulfill our obligations in this regard,” he said.

The head of the Turkish Defense Ministry reiterated that Ankara is in talks with the Ukrainian and Russian sides about the full continuation of the “grain agreement”.

“As of yesterday (Monday), the ships that left the Ukrainian ports and moved to the sea continue their journey. There is no problem with the exit of the Turkish ships. They continue to leave,” he said.

Short pause

“The delegations of Ukraine, Turkey and the UN at the RCC have agreed not to plan any movement of vessels under the Black Sea Grain Initiative for November 2,” the UN office at the Joint Coordinating Center said (JCC) in a statement, separately stressing that the suspension is temporary and urgent.

It also noted that on Tuesday, UN and Turkish inspectors conducted 36 inspections of ships in Ukrainian ports, and reports about them were forwarded to the Russian and Ukrainian delegations.

There is an alternative

The European Union, Ukraine’s biggest partner, has long been trying to expand land border trade, but by sea it is still more profitable and bigger.

“Russia must return to the agreement and secure maritime humanitarian corridors to supply the world with food,” the European Commission said on Monday. “Russia’s withdrawal from the deal threatens the main export route for grain and fertilizers, which are badly needed to fight the food crisis caused by Russia’s war against Ukraine”.

The EU has pledged to continue expanding river, rail and road export routes from Ukraine. Since May, at least 14 million tons of agricultural products have been delivered through them, the European Commission said.