Russia speculates on Black Sea Initiative, its exports have doubled

Serhii Kyslytsia, Ukraine's Permanent Representative to the UN, has said at a meeting of the UN Security Council that Russia is blackmailing the world by disrupting the Black Sea Grain Initiative and pretending to lose from its effect, while in fact, grain exports from Russia had doubled.

Source: Ukrinform, a Ukrainian news outlet 

Quote: "It is disgusting that Russia is still pretending that it is the loser in this deal. I will not even remind the Security Council of the immorality of such complaints from the aggressor state, which has been and remains the only threat to food supplies in the Black Sea."

Details: Kyslytsia has noted that Russian wheat exports almost doubled in January-February 2023 compared to the same period last year.

Quote: "Therefore, we consider these speculations to be an attempt to whitewash Russia's deliberate actions aimed at weaponizing food supplies, and we call on the international community to give a decisive response." 

Details: Kyslytsia has noted that Russia is obstructing the transportation of Ukrainian grain by sea in every possible way.

He has also added that since 1 May, less than 3 inspections have been carried out per day, while in the period from August 2022 to April 2023, an average of 6.6 inspections were carried out daily.

"In April, we were able to export less than 3 million tonnes of products through the grain corridor, which is only half of our agricultural export capacity," Kyslytsia said.

He has pointed out to the members of the Security Council that the date of 18 May, until which the grain deal was extended, was set only because of Russia's position.

"The Black Sea Grain Initiative does not end this week. But this is the week when Russian blackmail expires," he explained.

For reference: On Monday, 15 May, the UN Security Council met in New York to discuss the humanitarian situation in Ukraine caused by the Russian war.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!