Medvedev threatens to terminate grain deal if G7 bans exports to Russia

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on April 23 that, if G7 bans exports to Russia, Moscow will react by terminating the Black Sea grain deal.

G7 is considering an almost complete ban on exports to Russia, news agency Kyodo reported on April 21, citing Japanese government sources. According to Bloomberg, the U.S. and other countries are considering “an outright ban on most exports to Russia."

Medvedev, who is currently deputy chairman of Russia's security council, said that a “total ban” on exports to Russia would imply a ban on imports from Russia, “including categories of goods that are the most sensitive for G7.”

"In that case, the grain deal – and many other things they need – will be terminated," Medvedev wrote in a Telegram post, calling G7 “idiots.”

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine led to a halt in grain shipments via the Black Sea and a major crisis on the global grain market.

In July 2022, Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, and the UN struck a deal to unblock grain exports, called the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

However, Russia has "once again" blocked 50 ships carrying "urgently needed" Ukrainian grain in the Black Sea, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on April 17.

Explainer: What’s up with the ‘grain deal’ and Russia?

On Nov. 2, Russia announced it would continue its participation in the deal that allows grain shipments from Ukraine via the Black Sea, ending several days of turmoil when the vital deal was hanging by a thread. The grain exports crisis started with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which

Kyiv IndependentOleg Sukhov