A day after pulling out of the wartime grain deal and renewing global fears over food security, the Kremlin has warned that shipping grain out of Ukrainian Black Sea ports could be risky in the absence of Russian security guarantees, claiming Ukraine uses the waters for military activities.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov issued the warning on Tuesday, amid suggestions that Turkey could step in to protect Ukrainian grain shipments.
The Black Sea grain deal brokered by the United Nations and Turkey was signed by Russia and Ukraine last July to ensure that Ukrainian ships could transport grain from its Black Sea ports of Yuzhny, Odesa and Chornomorsk to the Bosporus, without being attacked.
With it came a separate agreement to facilitate shipments of Russian food and fertiliser, but Moscow has long complained that parts of the deal relating to these exports have not been implemented.
As Russia withdrew on Monday, officials said their repetitive demands to boost Russian grain and fertiliser exports through the pact had not been met.
