MOSCOW, July 18. /TASS/: Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has characterized the position of European countries on the Black Sea grain deal as "unconscionable."
"In this case, [I think] it would be more fitting to call the position of European countries unconscionable," he said, responding to comments by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who termed Russia’s decision to pull out of the grain deal "unconscionable."
Moreover, Peskov said that the Kremlin "categorically disagrees" with Blinken’s statement. "Russia has fulfilled its obligations and extended the agreement several times, despite the fact that the Russia-related provisions of the agreement were never implemented," the Kremlin spokesman pointed out.
He added that Moscow has high regard for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ efforts and attempts to persuade European countries to fulfill their obligations under the grain deal. "We highly appreciate the role of Mr. Guterres in concluding this agreement; we highly rate Mr. Guterres’ efforts to attempt to persuade European countries to fulfill the obligations that they took upon themselves. Yet, unfortunately, this did not happen," the Kremlin official told reporters.
The Black Sea Grain Initiative agreement ceased to function on July 17. Russia refused to agree to a further extension of the deal because the agreement’s provisions for lifting obstacles to the export of Russian agricultural products were never implemented. Additionally, Moscow has repeatedly underscored that the bulk of Ukrainian grain exports ended up being shipped to Western countries rather than to the neediest counties in the Global South, as originally intended under the agreement. Peskov said that Moscow was ready to resurrect the deal but only after the provisions pertaining to Russian exports were duly implemented.
