Kuleba talks with Turkish minister, discusses Russia's withdrawal from grain deal

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Aug. 5 that he had held a phone call with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan to discuss Russia's withdrawal from the deal that allowed Ukraine to export grain from Black Sea ports.

"I stressed Russia's withdrawal's harmful impact on African countries and global food security," Kuleba said in his Twitter post.

The phone call comes as Kyiv and its Western allies urge Russia to resume its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which has allowed Ukraine to export millions of grain since it came into effect in August 2022.

Nearly a year after Ukraine and Russia signed the international agreement - a breakthrough brokered by the United Nations and Turkey in July 2022 - Russia said on July 17 that it was pulling out of the deal.

On July 19, the Russian Defense Ministry said that all vessels sailing to Ukrainian ports would be considered "potential carriers of military cargo" and therefore legitimate targets.

In October 2022, Russia also threatened to suspend its participation in the grain deal but made a U-turn decision a few days later.

Risk of ‘big disruptions’ high in grain markets, says Black Sea expert

Since Russia refused to renew the Black Sea Grain Initiative – a U.N.-brokered deal to keep Ukraine’s grain flowing from its Black Sea ports amid Russia’s full-scale invasion – it has unleashed a campaign of attacks on Ukraine’s port and grain infrastructure. In late July, Russia carried

The Kyiv IndependentLili Bivings