Russia's termination of its participation in the United Nations-brokered Black Sea Grains Initiative has "immediate and damaging implications" for global food security, and food prices have risen due to the uncertainty surrounding the deal, the US State Department spokesman said. Ned Price, on Monday.
Moscow announced on Saturday that it would suspend its role in the United Nations-backed initiative that began in August escorting cargo ships through the Black Sea, but grain ships continued to sail from Ukrainian ports on Monday.
Russia's decision comes after Russian ships escorting freighters were attacked by drones, with Russia blaming Ukrainian forces and British intelligence as masterminds behind the attacks.
Any disruption to the initiative risks soaring food prices, eroding confidence from insurers and commercial carriers who have returned to the Black Sea routes, and imposing further difficulties on low-income countries already in recovery will. Serious humanitarian crises and global food insecurity,” Price told reporters at a regular news conference.
Prices started to rise before Saturday as comments from Russian officials cast doubt on the longevity of the deal. "This is not a bilateral issue between Russia and Ukraine," he said, adding that 66 percent of the wheat exported under the initiative went to developing countries and 19 percent to least developed countries.
Overland routes are also used to export Ukrainian grain, but "there was no substitute" for the volumes that could be shipped across the Black Sea, he said. "It's not in anyone's interest, it's not in Russia's interest." , it's not in the interest of the international community to see what some sort of collective punishment might be for putting this on hold," Price said.
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