Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov indicated on Friday that Moscow may operate outside the Black Sea grain agreement if Western countries continue to impose what he termed as "obstacles." During a press conference with his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, Lavrov noted that Russian grain and fertilizer exports have been affected by difficulties in obtaining insurance and using the global SWIFT payment system. He also called on European countries, which he claimed have a surplus of Ukrainian grain, to donate some to poorer nations.
Lavrov added that if the West does not intend to be honest about what UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres aimed to achieve with the agreement, then Ukraine will have to use its land and river routes for exports. He stated, "We will work, if necessary, outside this initiative. We have the capability to do this with Turkey and Qatar, and the leaders have discussed relevant plans."
For his part, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu expressed agreement with Russia regarding the request to lift obstacles to Russian fertilizer and grain exports, adding that there is a need to address this issue to extend the grain export agreement via the Black Sea, which includes Ukraine.
Cavusoglu affirmed Turkey's commitment to extending the UN-brokered agreement to ensure the safe passage of grain and other raw material shipments from Ukrainian ports. He stated, "We place importance on the continuation of the agreement... not only for Russian and Ukrainian grain and fertilizer exports but also to halt the global food crisis." He continued, "We agree on the necessity of removing obstacles to Russian grain and fertilizer exports, and issues must be addressed for further extension of the grain agreement."
