Russia-Ukraine updates: UN says grain deal end ‘blow’ to millions

The Ukrainian foreign minister accused Russia of “putting the global food security at risk” after Moscow withdrew from the Black Sea grain deal.

“It is an irresponsible move,” Dmytro Kuleba told reporters at United Nations headquarters ahead of a UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine.

“Russia is also doing it while increasing its own exports to global markets,” Kuleba said.

Accusing Russia of putting many nations in Asia and Africa at risk of increasing food prices and hunger, he said: “This must stop now. We all have a headache. We have to solve another created by Russia.”

The United States will continue to work with other countries to ensure movement of grain out of Ukraine, said the White House National Security Council spokesman.

John Kirby said Washington is not considering using US military assets to help protect grain shipments.

Large contingents of Russian forces are on the offensive in northeastern Ukraine’s Kupiansk sector and engaged in heavy fighting, Ukrainian officials said.

Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar, writing on Telegram, said: “For two days running, the enemy has been actively on the offensive in the Kupiansk sector in Kharkiv region. We are defending. Heavy fighting is going on and the positions of both sides change dynamically several times a day.”

Serhiy Cherevatyi, spokesperson for the eastern grouping of troops, told national television the Russian military had amassed more than 100,000 troops and more than 900 tanks in the area. Ukrainian forces were holding their lines, he said.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) chief has decried Russia’s decision to pull out from the Black Sea grain deal despite Turkey’s effort to mediate.

“I condemn Russia’s unilateral decision to withdraw from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, despite the efforts by our ally Turkey and the UN,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Twitter.

Stoltenberg underscored that Russia’s “illegal war” against Ukraine continues to “harm millions of vulnerable people around the world”.

I condemn Russia's unilateral decision to withdraw from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, despite the efforts by our Ally #Türkiye and the @UN.

Russia's illegal war against #Ukraine continues to harm millions of vulnerable people around the world.

— Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) July 17, 2023

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Russia’s decision to halt participation in the year-old deal that lets Ukraine export grain through the Black Sea was “unconscionable” and called for the pact to be restored as quickly as possible.

“The result of Russia’s action today weaponising food … will be to make food harder to come by in places that desperately need it, and have prices rise,” he said.

“The bottom line is, it’s unconscionable,” he added.

Blinken, speaking to reporters, also said Washington was monitoring the situation after the attack on the road bridge that links Crimea to southern Russia, adding that it is up to Ukraine to decide how it conducts the war.

Al Jazeera’s Rob McBride said that while there are bound to be consequences for global food supplies given the end of the Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI), it remains unclear just how serious the fallout will be.

“Many farmers and food exporters from Ukraine have found other ways of getting their crops out, using train links and land borders and ports on the Danube River,” McBride said, speaking from Kyiv.

Ukraine wasn’t so reliant on Black Sea ships exporting its grain anymore because as a result of the war, there was less food to export – about a third less than what Ukraine was exporting before Russia invaded the country last year.

Pope Francis has sent a high-level emissary to speak with US President Joe Biden about Moscow’s deportation of Ukrainian children, according to a report by Politico, which cited a person familiar with the meeting.

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi is expected to meet Biden at the White House on Tuesday, Politico said.

The Vatican said earlier that Zuppi was going to Washington on Monday to meet US officials as a follow-up to his talks in Kyiv and Moscow.

Zuppi’s three-day visit is aimed at “exchanging ideas and views on the current tragic situation and supporting humanitarian initiatives,” the Vatican statement added. The humanitarian initiatives are intended to “alleviate the suffering of the most affected and vulnerable people, especially children.”

Russia says it has evacuated children from the conflict zone for their own protection.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin said that the road bridge linking southern Russia to Crimea would be completely repaired by November 1, after an overnight attack that caused severe damage.

Speaking in a televised meeting with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, Khusnullin said there was no damage to pylons but that one section of road had been completely destroyed and would have to be rebuilt.

He said road traffic would resume in one direction by September 15, with road traffic in both directions restored by November 1. The parallel railway bridge was not damaged in the attack.

Russia’s President Putin denounced a “terror attack” and called for tougher security measures after Kyiv targeted a bridge linking Moscow-annexed Crimea to Russia.

“Another terrorist attack was committed on the bridge last night,” Putin said in televised remarks. “I am waiting for specific proposals to improve the security of this strategic, important transport facility.”

The head of the World Trade Organization (WTO) said she was “deeply disappointed” by the end of the Black Sea grain deal, which she described as essential to ensuring the stability of global food prices.

“Black Sea trade in food, feed and fertiliser is critical to the stability of global food prices,” Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala wrote on Twitter. “Sad to say that poor people and poor countries are hardest hit. Let’s keep hope alive on renewal.”

Deeply disappointed at the termination of the Black Sea Grain Initiative & the interruption of the grain trade from Ukraine. I share UN SG @antonioguterres’ regret & concern. Black Sea trade in food, feed & fertilizer is critical to the stability of global food prices. Sad to say…

— Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (@NOIweala) July 17, 2023

Yulia Shapovalova reports from Moscow that while the Kremlin says it is open to considering an extension of the Black Sea grain deal if its demands are met, Ukraine’s attack on the Crimean Bridge has cemented its decision to not negotiate further.

“Despite the words from the Kremlin, the attack has affected Russia’s swift decision regarding the deal,” she said. “According to the Russian mission to the UN, the decision to withdraw from the grain deal is final and there will be no more negotiations.”

Russia condemned the strike on the bridge as a “terrorist” attack on a “purely civilian facility”, Shapovalova said.

“Ukraine considers the bridge a legitimate military target, but as we see, that didn’t stop Russian holidaymakers heading to Crimea and from going on vacation there.”

US aid chief Samantha Power has announced more than $500m in humanitarian assistance during a visit to Ukraine.

The aid, which will be provided through the UN and NGO partners, will increase support for those who have been displaced or otherwise affected by the war with emergency food assistance, health care and safe drinking water, according to a statement from USAID, the US Agency for International Development.

Power also said she handed over an additional $2.3m of equipment to help the agency repair damage inflicted by Russia’s forces on Ukraine’s infrastructure.

“We see what is happening in Ukraine. Russia continues to burn, and Ukraine continues to build. It is our privilege … to support our Ukrainian partners as they do that building,” Power said.

Russia says it will not extend an international deal to allow the safe shipment of Ukrainian grain through its ports on the Black Sea.

Almost 33 million tonnes of grain have been exported since the Black Sea Grain Initiative was brokered a year ago, and the end of the deal will affect dozens of countries around the world.

Read more here.

A Russian Su-25 fighter-bomber has crashed into the Sea of Azov near the town of Yeysk, but the pilot ejected, local officials say in a statement on social media.

Unverified videos shared on social media appeared to show a parachute descending over the sea near a beach and a large splash in the water.

Yeysk lies across the Sea of Azov from the Russian-controlled part of Ukraine’s Donetsk region.

Officials from Russia’s Krasnodar region said the pilot has been rescued from the water.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative – a deal between Russia and Ukraine brokered by the UN and Turkey – has allowed 32.9 million tonnes of food to be exported from war-torn Ukraine since August.

More than half of that grain went to developing countries, including those getting relief from the World Food Programme (WFP), according to the Joint Coordination Centre in Istanbul.

But the wartime accord, which had been extended several times, will be terminated on Tuesday, Russia announced.

What does the deal mean to the rest of the world?

Read more.

France has called on Russia to stop its “blackmail” over the agreement that had allowed Ukraine to export farm goods from its Black Sea ports.

“France condemns Russia’s suspension of its participation in the Black Sea grain initiative,” the French foreign ministry said in a statement.

“Russia is solely responsible for blocking navigation in this maritime space and imposes an illegal blockade on Ukrainian ports. It must stop its blackmail on world food security and reconsider its decision,” the ministry added.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says Russia’s refusal to extend the agreement that has enabled Ukraine to export grain from its Black Sea ports for the past year “sends a bad message” to the rest of the world.

“But everyone will understand what is behind it, namely an action that has a lot to do with the fact that Russia does not feel responsible for good coexistence in the world,” Scholz said at a two-day EU- Latin America summit in Brussels.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says he “deeply regrets” Russia’s decision to end the Black Sea grain deal, including the withdrawal of Russian security guarantees of navigation in the north-west part of the Black Sea.

The UN chief said he was disappointed Putin ignored his proposal to extend the agreement and the UN would still try to facilitate “unimpeded access to global markets of food and fertilizers from Russia and Ukraine”.

Earlier, China’s envoy to the United Nations, Zhang Jun, also expressed hope that all parties involved could find a way forward as he specifically mentioned that Russia had concerns.

“We still hope that, you know, by accommodating the concerns of all parties … then we can find a package solution,” Zhang told reporters.

A senior Russian official at the UN has said his country’s decision not to extend the Black Sea grain export deal is final and no more talks are planned, according to a report by Russian state news agency TASS.

Earlier, Russia’s foreign ministry had said that despite UN efforts to prolong the deal, obstacles to Russian food and fertiliser exports remained.

“Only upon receipt of concrete results and not promises and assurances will Russia be ready to consider restoring the deal,” it said.