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Last Grain Ship Leaves Ukraine Worrying Africa

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

ODESA/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – The last ship to sail under a United Nations-brokered deal allowing safe Black Sea export of Ukrainian grain left the country’s Black Sea port of Odesa Sunday, a day before the agreement expires, potentially impacting millions of people, monitors said.

A U.N. spokesman said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was waiting for a response from Russian President Vladimir Putin on a proposal to extend the deal.

But as the MarineTraffic data site reported the last ship leaving, there were no indications that Moscow was in a hurry to allow grain exports of Ukraine, one of the world’s main bread baskets.

Kyiv did not immediately comment on whether the ship, the Turkish-flagged TQ Samsun, had left Odesa. What was certain, however, is that Russia has not agreed to register any new ships since June 27, and the initiative will expire on Monday unless Moscow agrees to extend it.

Putin told South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in a phone call on Saturday that commitments to remove obstacles to Russian food and fertilizer exports had yet to be fulfilled, the Kremlin said in published remarks.

BANK DEMANDS

Moscow also demands that its Rosselkhozbank – a bank that handles agricultural payments – be reconnected to the global Swift payment network. Earlier this year, the European Union said it was not considering reinstating Russian banks sanctioned because Moscow invaded Ukraine.

“The main goal of the deal, namely the supply of grain to countries in need, including on the African continent, has not been implemented,” the Kremlin leader reportedly told Ramaphosa.

The South African leader has pleaded with Russia and Ukraine to settle their differences, saying it could impact millions of people on the African continent.

Russia repeatedly threatened to quit the deal, brokered by the U.N. and Turkey in July 2022 following Russia’s attack against Ukraine. It had been previously extended for two months on May 17.

Despite the difficulties, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he was “confident” the deal would be extended again after speaking to Putin over the weekend.