Kyiv’s Infrastructure Minister OleksandrKubrakov said on Sunday that it has become “impossible” for full tankers to leave port after Russia announced it would suspend its participation in the United Nations-brokered grain export deal after alleged drone attacks on the Crimean city of Sevastopol.
“(A) bulk carrier loaded with 40 tonnes of grain was supposed to leave the Ukraine port today.
These foodstuffs were intended for Ethiopians that is on the verge of famine. But due to the blockage of the ‘grain corridor’ by Russia, the export is impossible, “he tweeted. Russia is blocking grain that would feed more than 7 million people on a “false pretext,” Ukraine’s Foreign Minister DmytroKuleba said.
“By suspending its participation in the grain deal on the false pretext of explosions 220 kilometres away from the grain corridor, Russia blocks 2 million tonnes of grain on 176 vessels already at sea-enough to feed over 7 million people,” Kuleba tweeted on Sunday.
“Russia had planned this well in advance,” he said.
However, Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov said Sunday that condemning Russia for the suspension of the grain deal is unfair, reported CNN.
“The situation has escalated even further. But in the US, they do not intend to acknowledge this. Again, everything is reduced to false accusations that our country is exacerbating the global food problem, “Antonov said in a statement published on Facebook.
“It is unfair to condemn Russia for suspending the implementation of the deal. “This happened because of the reckless actions of the Ukrainian authorities,” said Antonov.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President VolodymyrZelenskyy called the decision “deliberate” and “a rather predictable statement.”