Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to leave the Black Sea Grain Initiative, claiming that not enough grain was going to the world’s poor.
This is not the firsts time Putin has made this claim, as he has raised doubts about the long-term survival of the United Nations-brokered pact again in the past.
According to the Wall Street Journal, he noted that “let’s really hope that a significant part of it—so far this has not been achieved—will still go through the U.N. food program for the poorest countries.”
If Russia leaves the grain export agreement, it would likely lead to another increase in global food prices, in a time when Putin has repeatedly warned that Western measures against Russia are harming the world’s poorer countries.
As for the EU, WSJ reports that it has not sanctioned Russian food and agricultural products, and has clarified its sanctions package in July to ensure that sanctions do not obstruct the delivery of those products to third countries.
Regarding the Black Sea Grain Initiative, two vital objectives already being achieved, a senior UN official said, pointing to the steady decrease in international food prices and the increasing availability of badly needed grain from Ukraine as signs of early success.
Speaking to reporters in Geneva, UN trade chief Rebeca Grynspan, said that the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) had reported that food prices declined globally in August for the fifth straight month.
