Russia threatens to withdraw from the grain deal: the Foreign Ministry put forward conditions
This is not the first time an aggressor country has used blackmail to achieve its goals.
Russia is threatening to withdraw from the grain deal if Rosselkhozbank is not connected to the SWIFT international interbank system.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation said that in response to their demand to reconnect the bank to SWIFT, the official representative of the UN Secretary General said that there are other possibilities to carry out banking transactions. They are also outraged by the lack of transit of ammonia.
“For our part, we note that as soon as ammonia does not go through the port of Yuzhny, there are other ports that are still working with our assistance to export Ukrainian grain. If Rosselkhozbank is not connected to SWIFT and there is no progress in fulfilling other “systemic” problems blocking our agricultural exports, the “Black Sea Initiative” will also have to look for alternatives,” the ministry said in a statement.
Grain deal: latest news
Recall that on July 22, an agreement was signed in Istanbul on the unblocking of the ports of Odessa, Chornomorsk and Yuzhny for the export of grain and other agricultural products.
At the end of October, the Russian Ministry of Defense accused the UK of involvement in the attack on the Black Sea Fleet and announced that it was withdrawing from the grain deal.
Later they clarified that they did not withdraw, but “suspended” the agreement. A few days later, the Russian Federation resumed its participation in it.
In March, the Russians agreed to extend the agreement, but for 60 days. They demand that their conditions be met, including the connection of Rosselkhozbank to SWIFT, the lifting of the ban on access to ports, the restoration of the Togliatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline and the unblocking of a number of foreign assets and accounts.