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Workers loading grain at a grain port in Izmail, Ukraine in April. Alamy Stock Photo

Russia urged to avert global food crisis at UN after pulling out of Black Sea grain deal

Moscow was criticised by China as well as Western nations over the decision, with some warning that it could have “catastrophic consequences”.

RUSSIA HAS COME under pressure at the United Nations Security Council from its ally China and developing countries as well as Western nations to avert a global food crisis and revive Ukrainian grain shipments.

Moscow was also criticised by the UN and council members for attacking Ukrainian ports after pulling out of the year-old grain deal and destroying port infrastructure – a violation of international humanitarian law banning attacks on civilian infrastructure.

In response to Russia declaring wide areas in the Black Sea dangerous for shipping, the UN warned that a military incident in the sea could have “catastrophic consequences”.

Russia said it suspended the Black Sea Grain Initiative because the UN had failed to overcome obstacles to shipping its food and fertiliser to global markets – the other half of the Ukraine grain deal.

The Kremlin said it would consider resuming Ukrainian shipments if progress is made in overcoming the obstacles, including in banking arrangements.

China’s deputy UN ambassador Geng Shuang noted UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ commitment to make every effort to ensure that both Ukrainian grain and Russian food and fertiliser get to world markets.

He expressed hope that Russia and the UN will work together to resume exports from both countries “at an early date” in the interest of “maintaining international food security and alleviating the food crisis in developing countries in particular”.

US ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield accused Russia of using the Black Sea as “blackmail” and playing political games, pointing to Moscow’s export of more grain than ever before at higher prices.

She called on the Security Council and all 193 UN member nations to come together and urge Russia to resume negotiations in good faith.

Several developing countries warned of the impact of the cut-off in Ukrainian grain shipments, which has already led to a rise in wheat prices.

Gabon’s UN ambassador Michel Biang said the grain deal had avoided a spike in grain prices and calmed the risk of food insecurity in the drought-affected Horn of Africa and other regions. He urged talks “to break the current deadlock” and avoid a humanitarian crisis.

Mozambique’s UN ambassador Pedro Afonso said Russia’s action is certain “to amplify global socio-economic stresses in a world already grappling with a perfect storm of conflict, climate change” and a loss of confidence in multilateral solutions.

Russia’s deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyansky said Russia stands ready to consider rejoining the deal if seven principles from the Russia-UN memorandum are implemented.

He listed them as “the real not theoretical” lifting of Western sanctions on Russian grain and fertiliser exports, and the lifting of obstacles to Russian banks that service exports, including the immediate connection to the SWIFT global banking system.

russian-president-vladimir-putin-chairs-a-security-council-meeting-via-videoconference-in-moscow-russia-friday-july-21-2023-alexander-kazakov-sputnik-kremlin-pool-photo-via-ap Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a Security Council meeting via video conference in Moscow, Russia. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Russia also wants the delivery of spare parts for agricultural production to resume, a resolution to issues related to chartering vessels for Russian exports including insurance, the war-damaged ammonia pipeline from Russia to Ukraine to be fixed and other fertiliser issues resolved, Russian assets linked to agricultural production unfrozen, and “the resumption of the initial humanitarian nature of the grain deal”, he said.

Under the deal, Ukraine was given a green light to ship grain from three Black Sea ports, but following Monday’s withdrawal Russia said it will consider a ship traveling to Ukrainian ports as being laden with weapons and will treat the country of its flag as a participant in the conflict on Kyiv’s side.

Ukraine announced that it will also treat ships travelling to Russian Black Sea ports as military targets.

Thomas-Greenfield told the council the United States has information that Russia laid additional sea mines in the approaches to Ukrainian ports and that Russia’s military may attack civilian shipping in the Black Sea “and lay blame on Ukraine for these attacks”.

UN political chief Rosemary DiCarlo strongly condemned Russian attacks on Ukraine’s Black Sea ports and urged Moscow to stop them immediately.

She said threats to target civilian vessels “are unacceptable” and warned that sea mines can endanger civilian navigation.

China’s Geng called on the parties “to remain calm and exercise restraint”, abide by international humanitarian law and refrain from attacking civilian infrastructure, “and make every effort to curb the expansion of the conflict to prevent a larger scale humanitarian crisis”.

UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths told the council that a record 362 million people in 69 countries need assistance, “a number that has never been reached anywhere before”, requiring an unprecedented $55 billion dollars (€49 billion).

He said the cut-off of Ukrainian grain shipments has already brought not only killings and injuries to civilians and damage to port infrastructure but a 9% spike in wheat prices on Wednesday, the largest since Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The “humanitarian catastrophe” in Ukraine continues to reverberate around the world, Griffiths said, and for many of the 362 million people who need help, a cut-off in critical Ukrainian and Russian grain threatens the future of their families.

“Some will go hungry, some will starve, many may die as a result of these decisions,” he said.

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    Mute CrabaRev
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    Feb 26th 2019, 8:42 AM

    @Ann Lennon:
    From reading this and other articles, it would appear that the “fall from grace” was in his mind.
    A much more pertinent question, was the councillor with with whom he had 10 sessions suitably qualified to determine whether Hawe was a danger to himself or his family? I think “the two felt a connection.” is an extraordinary statement.

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    Mute James Wallace
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    Feb 26th 2019, 9:44 AM

    @John Jones: the point is they don’t know. The gardai won’t release the files and the school has never once contacted the family.

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    Mute James Wallace
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    Feb 26th 2019, 11:32 AM

    @John Jones: no, not a deliberate cover up, but the family are entiteled to some answers to their legitimate questions. The fact that the school has never contacted these people is not speculation, it’s fact, according to them.

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    Mute Anthony Gallagher
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    Feb 26th 2019, 10:32 AM

    Tragic and cruel, but there are far too many experts on here giving their twopence worth.If only mental health was that easy to diagnose,leave it to those that have some idea what they are talking about .

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    Mute Matt Beaumont
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    Feb 26th 2019, 10:41 AM

    @Anthony Gallagher: well obviously they didn’t in that case.

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    Mute John Jones
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    Feb 26th 2019, 10:46 AM

    @James Wallace: Do you think theres a cover up. I think it’s sad how there’s a massive slight being put on the school based on pure speculation.

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    Mute Jane
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    Feb 26th 2019, 2:18 PM

    @CrabaRev: I dont think it’s true to say the fall from grace was in his head. From the Independent.

    He has said in his own words that he was caught red-handed and we do know that he was looking at pornography….

    “We’ve had sight of the counselling notes and he had said he was masturbating somewhere that he shouldn’t have been… So we have pieces of information but we don’t know who caught him.
    “We do know, in the June, he cancelled all his counselling sessions and this all happened the day before he was to return to school,” she said. “He said that it was easier for them to die than to have to live with the truth of what he was doing.”

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    Mute Pauline Gallagher
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    Feb 26th 2019, 8:10 PM

    @Jane: The counselor said that he said this?? She was in a position to go to gardai with this information; patient confidentiality goes out the window when there is a real risk to life. Did she pass this information onto the guards before the murders?

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    Mute CrabaRev
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    Feb 26th 2019, 4:54 PM

    @Jane: I replied to your comment, but my comment was deleted for some weird Journal.ie reason. What you have just quoted from the Indo was a quote from Clodagh’s sister.

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    Mute GerryCummins
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    Feb 27th 2019, 12:19 AM

    It seems it is about the will, and who gets what! Which family benefits from the assets left over…I was wondering why this case had come up again. It is petty infighting between family…..over the assets left behind…

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    Mute Maria Hickey-Fagan
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    Feb 27th 2019, 12:57 AM

    @GerryCummins: would you ever stop. This is a broken, devastated family looking for answers.

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    Mute Anne O'Brien
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    Feb 28th 2019, 4:33 AM

    This Family needs answers, why do they not have the full story. Release all records if you will not share the truth. That councillor statement is bizarre, and a big worry if you ask me. Badly done school. I say wow Mammy, Sister, Granmother, and Aunt you are now fighting for the defenseless I really hope you get your answers. Why O Why

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    Mute helen walsh
    Favourite helen walsh
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    Feb 27th 2019, 12:40 AM

    My comments are constantly removed, who is behind that? Is my personal information being given to cronies..

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