By Our Reporter
WORLD
The Russian President has told the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Russia is now willing to supply African countries with free grain and fertilizers.
Vladimir Putin made this revelation yesterday 1st November 2022 in a telephone interview where the Turkish President expressed concern over Russia’s decision to close the Black Sea corridor created for the exportation of Ukraine grain.
The two were discussing the circumstances that could convince Moscow to return to its own commitments under the agreement.
Russia indefinitely suspended its participation in the deal last week following a massive drone attack on its naval base in the Crimean port city of Sevastopol. Some of the naval drones launched by Kiev allegedly used the Black Sea grain corridor’s security zone to close in on their targets, according to the Russian military.
“Moscow is now ready to supply African nations with “large volumes” of grain and fertilizers out of its own stocks for free,” Putin confirmed.
The corridor was touted as a way to secure food supplies to the neediest nations as a matter of priority. But this goal has not been reached in the three months since the agreement was established, Putin noted.
The Russian military closed the Black Sea grain corridor on Monday, arguing that its security could not be guaranteed while Kiev used it for military purposes. Moscow had previously blamed Ukraine and UK Navy specialists for the attack on Sevastopol. London has dismissed the accusation.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that the corridor would stay closed at least until all the circumstances of the attack were established. Russia has also repeatedly said that it has not left the deal entirely but only suspended its own commitments under the agreement.
In the wake of Moscow’s decision, the UN insisted that “food must flow” regardless of the circumstances. Civilian vessels “can never be a military target or held hostage,” the UN coordinator for the Black Sea grain initiative, Amir Abdulla, said.
