Putin wants to restrict grain exports from Ukraine, saying he was "cheated"

WEDNESDAY, 7 SEPTEMBER 2022, 10:53 — OLEKSII PAVLYSH

Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for restrictions on destinations for grain exports along the "grain corridor" from the territory of Ukraine: he claims that almost all the grain has been sent to the EU and not to developing countries, as was expected.

Putin said this during a speech at the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum [in Vladivostok], as reported by Russian media.

"You all know very well how much controversy there was, how many conversations there were about the need to ensure the export of Ukrainian grain at all costs to support the [world’s] poorest countries. Of course we could not help but respond to this, despite all the difficulties of the events taking place around Ukraine," the Russian president said.

At the same time, he claims that Russia has done everything possible to ensure that Ukrainian grain can be exported.

According to the Russian dictator, "if we exclude Turkey as an intermediary country, then all, or almost all, of the grain being exported from Ukraine is not being sent to the poorest developing countries, but to EU countries.

According to the UN World Food Programme, which assists the neediest countries, only two ships were loaded. I emphasise, only two out of 87. And they transported 60,000 tonnes of food out of 2 million tonnes. That’s only 3% that was sent to developing countries," Putin added.

"All the pressure that was exerted on us by our quasi-partners and our geopolitical opponents was based on calls to safeguard the interests of the poorest countries, to prevent hunger in those countries.

We did everything we could to draw up these agreements, we comply with them and ensure them. It turns out that once again we have been, as they say, rudely abandoned, cheated, and not only us but also the poorest countries whose interests were the pretext under which all this was done," the Russian president claims.

"It is obvious that with this approach, the scale of food problems in the world will only increase, unfortunately, which could lead to an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.

And maybe it is worth thinking about limiting the export destinations for grain and other food. I will definitely be consulting with Turkish President Erdoğan on this topic," Putin concluded.

Added:

The data on Ukrainian exports by sea within the framework of the grain corridor shows that Putin is lying.

According to calculations by Barva Invest, 22% of exports went to Africa and the Middle East and 28% to Europe.

Barva Invest commented, "The leading terrorist has distorted the reason for the blockading of Ukrainian ports and the subsequent lifting of the blockade (forgetting that Russia’s previous story was that Russia did not blockade them). He has accused the West of deception and imperialism [in saying] that grain from the ports is not reaching developing countries and is only going to the EU.

He said that only 3% was sent to ‘developing countries’. But we have records of everything. Were there any doubts about the fact that Russia cannot be trusted?"

Barva Invest explained that statements like these are a tool for blackmailing the West, and for Ukraine, there is a real risk that sea exports will be disrupted.

According to the terms of the grain corridor, it is valid for 120 days (from 22 July to 19 November) and is automatically extended if there are no objections from the parties involved.

"These are the reasons the Russian Federation is looking for," explained Barva Invest.

Reminder:

As of 5 September, over 2 million tonnes [of grain] has been exported from Ukraine within the framework of the Black Sea grain initiative.

The biggest convoy since the beginning of the implementation of the "grain initiative", 13 ships, left from the ports of Great Odesa.

Ukraine expects to export via the "grain corridor" 3 million tonnes of agricultural products per month from the ports of Great Odesa alone, as well as extending the initiative to the port of Mykolaiv.

There are no plans to export any goods other than agricultural products within the framework of the "grain corridor" .

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