The Russian president’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said that there is no chance of extending the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which established a humanitarian maritime corridor to allow ships to export grain and other foodstuffs from Ukraine.
"It is hardly possible to predict the final decision here. One can only state that this agreement has no chance, judging by what we have de facto," he said.
According to Peskov, the grain deal implies deeds; deeds on the part of the contracting states or associations.
"And one part of this deal was done, but the other part, which concerns Russia, was not done. Therefore, if we state what we have now, then, of course, there are no prospects, no grounds for its extension," he said.
Against the backdrop of its unfounded accusations against Ukraine, Russia itself continues to increase the export of its agricultural products.
For example, the total deadweight tonnage of the ships that entered the Ukrainian Black Sea ports that are partially in operation and those that entered Ukraine’s ports on the River Danube was 3.8 million tons in May 2023. This is 85.5% lower than the average monthly figure for Ukrainian seaports in 2021. The difference is even starker when compared with the Russian ports on the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea. While the total deadweight tonnage of the ships that entered the Russian seaports was seven times higher than the deadweight tonnage of the ships that entered Ukrainian ports in April, it was almost 10 times higher in May. Russian ports in the region received vessels with a deadweight tonnage of 37.1 million tons in April, a 4% increase compared with the average monthly deadweight tonnage in 2021. In addition, Russian seaports in the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea surpassed the figure for April, when they received ships with a total deadweight tonnage of 35.9 million tons.
Only 40 ships called at the ports of Greater Odesa in May. Meanwhile, Russia’s Black Sea ports received 1,059 and 1,184 vessels in April and May, respectively.
