Moscow said it was suspending the UN-brokered deal in response to a dramatic attack in the early hours of Saturday by Ukrainian airborne and underwater drones on the Sevastopol naval base in Crimea. It had allowed Ukraine to transport more than 9 million tonnes of grain and oilseed commodities, while Russia was allowed to export food and fertilizer, helping to reduce food prices by 15% from their peak in March after the war the treacherous route. Wheat futures are now forecast to rise when markets open on Monday. “The start of the week is very likely to see prices rise, simply because less grain will come out of Ukraine,” said Arthur Portier of consultancy Agritel. Kyiv’s infrastructure ministry said on Sunday that 218 ships have been “substantially involved” in its ports – 22 loaded and stuck in ports, 95 loaded and departed from ports and 101 are awaiting inspections. NATO has accused Vladimir Putin of “arming food” and urged him to do a U-turn. “We call on Russia to reconsider its decision and renew the agreement urgently, allowing food to reach those who need it most,” spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “deeply concerned” by Russia’s suspension of the deal “indefinitely” and delayed his departure to attend the Arab League summit in Algiers for a day to try to revive her. Russia requested a meeting on Monday of the UN Security Council to discuss the issue. The EU also urged Moscow to change course. Foreign policy chief Josep Borrell tweeted that Russia’s decision “puts at risk the main export route for grain and fertilizer needed to address the global food crisis caused by the war against Ukraine.” Turkey said its defense minister, Hulusi Akar, was in talks with Russian and Ukrainian counterparts to resolve the impasse and asked the parties to avoid any “provocation”. On Saturday, Joe Biden called the move “purely outrageous” saying it would increase hunger, while his secretary of state, Anthony Blinken, said the suspension was regrettable and urged “all parties to maintain this key life-saving initiative.” . Russia’s ambassador to Washington hit back on Sunday, saying the US response was itself “outrageous” and made false claims about Moscow’s move. Russia’s defense ministry said Ukraine attacked its fleet near Sevastopol with 16 drones early Saturday, claiming British naval “specialists” helped coordinate what it called a terrorist attack. The United Kingdom denied the charge. Russia’s flagship ship in the Black Sea, the Admiral Makarov, was damaged and likely disabled in the attack. Subscribe to This is Europe The most central stories and debates about Europeans – from identity to the economy to the environment Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. The Kremlin claimed the ships targeted were involved in policing the grain corridor, but Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Moscow used the explosions 137 miles from the corridor as a “false pretext” for a long-term move. “Russia made the decision to restart the hunger games a long time ago and is now trying to justify it,” Kuleba tweeted. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called for a strong response from the UN and the G20 group of leading economies. “This is a completely transparent attempt by Russia to return to the threat of large-scale famine for Africa, for Asia,” Zelensky said in a video clip on Saturday, adding that Russia should be expelled from the G20. The grain deal was set to expire on November 19, and Russia had already repeatedly said there were serious problems with it. Ukraine had accused Moscow of preventing nearly 200 ships from receiving grain cargoes. When the deal was signed to ensure safe passage through three Ukrainian ports, the UN’s World Food Program said some 47 million people were suffering from “acute hunger” amid global food shortages and high prices caused in part by the war. In the absence of the grain corridor, some traders and analysts said Russia does not have the extra logistical capacity to fill the gap. This raises the risk of persistently high prices, which could rise further if upcoming harvests in the southern hemisphere are poor following drought in Argentina and torrential rains in eastern Australia.
