MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Moscow would “consider” returning to the Ukraine grain deal if its demands were “fully” met, saying the agreement had “lost all meaning.”

It was the first time the Russian leader commented since Moscow this week exited the landmark deal, which allowed the safe passage of cargo ships from Black Sea ports.

“The continuation of the grain deal in its current form has lost all meaning,” Putin said at a government meeting.

“Of course we will consider the possibility of returning to it — but only under one condition: if all principles under which Russia agreed to participate in the deal are fully taken into account and fulfilled.” He named the “withdrawal of sanctions on supplies of Russian grain and fertilisers to world markets” as one of the main conditions.

Kyiv alleges 60,000 tonnes of grain destroyed in Odesa attack

Moscow had for months complained that a related agreement on allowing the export of Russian food and fertilisers had not been honoured.

Putin said Russia had shown “miracles of poise and tolerance” by extending the deal several times.

But he accused Western countries of using the deal for “political blackmail”.

“Instead of helping countries in real need, the West used the grain deal for political blackmail and... turned it into a tool to enrich transnational corporations and speculators in the global grain market,” he said.

Putin spoke shortly after the Russian army said that cargo ships heading for Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea would be regarded as possibly carrying military cargo.

Odesa attack

Kyiv on Wednesday said Russia had destroyed 60,000 tonnes of grain meant for export in overnight strikes around the port of Odesa after accusing Moscow of purposefully hitting grain terminals.

Germany and France condemned Russian strikes, saying they were deliberately targeting grain and would affect the world’s poorest people.

Russia has fired missiles at Ukraine’s southern Odesa region for two nights in a row, hitting ports on the Black Sea.

Ukraine’s agriculture ministry said “60,000 tonnes of grain were also destroyed” in the port of Chornomorsk, outside Odesa.

It said the grain was meant to be “sent through the grain corridor 60 days ago.” “The grain infrastructure of international and Ukrainian traders and carriers such as (Ukrainian) Kernel, (Canadian) Viterra and the (French) CMA CGM Group suffered the most,” the ministry said.

“The world’s food security is once again in danger,” it added.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier that Russia is “deliberately targeting the grain deal infrastructure.”

On Monday, Russia refused to extend the UN-brokered grain deal that allowed for critical grain shipments.

Since exiting the deal, Moscow has warned of “risks” over the future of grain exports via the Black Sea.

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2023