Putin says Russia will return to Black Sea grain deal if a string of calls for are met
Following two nights of missile and drone strikes that reportedly destroyed 60,000 tonnes of grain in Ukraine’s port of Odesa area, Russian President Vladmir Putin right this moment set out his calls for for renewing the Black Sea grain deal, whereas the Russian protection ministry threatened strikes on service provider ships and retaliatory measures towards their flag states.
According to Russian state-controlled information company TASS, Putin right this moment instructed officers that Russia is able to return to the grain deal instantly if all beforehand agreed-upon circumstances for its participation within the initiative are met and the association’s “original humanitarian essence” is restored.
According to TASS, Putin’s particular calls for embrace “lifting sanctions on Russian grain and fertilizer deliveries, removing all obstacles for Russian banks servicing food supplies to the global market, including their connection to SWIFT, resuming deliveries of components and spare parts for agricultural machinery and fertilizer production to Russia, resolving all issues with ship chartering and insurance of Russian food exports, resuming operations of the Togliatti-Odesa ammonia pipeline, unblocking Russian agricultural assets, and restoring the grain deal’s original humanitarian intent.”
WARNING TO MERCHANT SHIPS
Separately, Tass quoted the protection ministry as saying that “Russia will view all ships going throughout the Black Sea to Ukrainian ports as carrying army cargoes, ranging from this coming midnight.
“Given that the Black Sea initiative has come to an end and the maritime humanitarian corridor has been terminated, all ships going across the Black Sea to Ukrainian ports will be considered potential carriers of military-purpose cargoes, starting from 12:00 a.m. Moscow time on July 20, 2023,” the ministry stated.
It stated the flag states of such ships will probably be considered as taking part within the Ukrainian battle on the aspect of Kiev.
“A number of sea areas in the northwestern and southeastern international waters of the Black Sea have been declared temporarily dangerous for navigation,” the ministry stated. “The appropriate warning notices about the withdrawal of safety guarantees to mariners have been issued in accordance with the established procedure.”
