Russia’s Ministry of Defense declares that it is suspending traffic along the so-called “grain corridor” through which grain is exported from Ukraine and can’t guarantee its safety, statement of the Russia’s Ministry of Defense in Telegram.
“Until the clarification of the situation surrounding the terrorist attack committed by Ukraine on October 29 this year against warships and civilian vessels in the city of Sevastopol, traffic along the security corridor defined by the Black Sea Initiative has been suspended,” the Russia’s Ministry of Defense informed.
“In the current conditions, there can be no question of guaranteeing the safety of any object on the specified route until the Ukrainian side accepts additional obligations not to use this route for military purposes.”
Ukraine will continue to implement the “grain initiative” within the framework of agreements with the UN and Türkiye, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
“Among these three subjects, I did not hear that anyone was not in agreement and would like to stop the grain initiative. Therefore, here we continue as we agreed,” Zelenskyy said.
The United Nations does not believe that Russia’s suspension of participation in the “grain agreement” means its loss of validity, and UN inspectors will continue to check ships transporting grain from Ukrainian ports, said Martin Griffiths, the Organization’s deputy secretary general for humanitarian affairs.
“We firmly adhere to the opinion that the Black Sea Grain Initiative remains in force, despite the suspension of Russia’s participation in it,” Griffiths added.
