According to the UN, ten million tons of grain and other foodstuffs have been exported since the grain agreement came into force in July. As a result, the global food crisis was dampened by skyrocketing prices. Ukraine is one of the largest grain exporters in the world. The agreement, brokered by the UN and Turkey and limited until November 19, allows grain freighters to pass through the Black Sea, which is controlled by the Russian Navy.
Vershinin said payments for international Russian grain exports could only be processed once Rosselkhoz Bank is part of Swift again. Like Ukraine, Russia is also a leading international grain producer.
In addition to grain, deliveries of fertilizers from Russia are also important, especially for poorer countries. Freighters loaded with Russian fertilizer are currently stuck in the Netherlands, Estonia and Belgium. They are now supposed to sail to Africa, TASS reported on Saturday, citing the fertilizer manufacturer Uralchem-Uralkali. The agency quoted Uralchem boss Dmitry Konyaev as saying that the group was working with the United Nations (UN) to organize free deliveries to Africa of more than 262,000 tons of mineral fertilizers that had been seized in EU countries.