US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, has warned that Russia faces “great anger” from many countries if it pulls out of Ukraine’s grain export deal that expires in mid-November.
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“We will do everything we can to preserve the agreement,” Blinken said during a trip to Ottawa.
In particular, he said, Russia’s decision to terminate this agreement would be met with “deep concern” and “much anger by countries around the world that benefit from Ukrainian grain.”
The so-called Black Sea Agreement, signed on July 22 under the auspices of the United Nations, set procedures for a 120-day period to allow the export of Ukrainian grain halted by the war.
The Secretary of State also wanted to commend the work of the United Nations in signing this agreement and the beneficial effects it had around the world, particularly in “the countries of the South, Africa, Asia and other places. Where there was a need. I felt pain.”
On Wednesday, the head of the UN humanitarian agency, Martin Griffiths, said he was “relatively optimistic” about an extension of the agreement allowing Ukrainian grain exports.
A second agreement, also signed on July 22, provides for the facilitation of these Russian exports, but Moscow complains about its inability to sell its production and fertilizers, despite everything, due to Western sanctions affecting the financial and logistical sectors in particular.
The regime allowed the export of nearly 9 million tons of grain and eased the global food crisis caused by the war, but doubts surrounding the extension of the agreement have already led to higher prices for some products.
