Putin: Russia is able to compensate for Ukrainian grain exports

Johannesburg (ST): The BRICS 2023 summit kicked off  in Johannesburg, South Africa, under the slogan “BRICS and Africa”, with the participation of the leaders of the five BRICS member states, namely Russia, China, India, South Africa and Brazil.

In a video speech during the session, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Russia’s readiness to return to the grain export deal across the Black Sea in the event that the real obligations towards the Russian side are fulfilled.

Putin said: “The terms of the grain deal were not respected, and none of its clauses were implemented with regard to lifting sanctions on Russian grain and fertilizer exports to world markets. That is, the obligations to Russia in this regard were simply ignored. They even prevented us from transporting mineral fertilizers held in European ports free of charge, although it was a purely humanitarian act. He added that Russia is not subject to any sanctions in principle, and accordingly Russia refused to extend the grain deal, but it is ready to return to it if the obstacles in front of it are removed and all obligations towards the Russian side are realistically and truly fulfilled.

Putin stressed that Russia is able to compensate Ukrainian grain exports in light of the good production this year and is ready to distribute Russian fertilizers withheld in western ports for free and will remain a reliable supplier of food for Africa despite the sanctions, noting that 70 percent of Ukraine’s exports went to rich countries andthe poor countries did not benefit from them.

The grain deal is an integral part of a set of agreements that stipulate lifting the ban on Russian exports of food and fertilizers, re-linking the Russian Agricultural Bank to the Swift banking system, resuming the supply of agricultural machinery, spare parts and services, restoring the Tolyatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline, and a number of other measures,as well as allowing Ukraine to export its grain and agricultural materials across the Black Sea.

For his part, Chinese President Xi Jinping affirmed in a speech delivered on his behalf by Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao that China does not seek any global economic wars and aims to achieve the common interest of all countries, stressing that the partnership between BRICS and the world must be strengthened.

The Chinese president stressed the need to avoid dividing the world into democratic and non-democratic countries, and to avoid pushing for confrontation, as humanity faces many crises, and the solution lies in cooperation and integration, not in confrontation.

K.Q.