Russian grain exports can’t get to the countries of the EU because the sanctions imposed by the EU on Moscow effectively block supplies, as said by the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, on Wednesday, June 1, 2022.
“There is a problem with the export of Russian grain. Although the West is very loudly reminding that grain has not been sanctioned, for some reason they are shamefully silent that ships that import Russian grain have been sanctioned. European ports do not allow them in, there’s no insurance available and in general Western sanctions have disrupted the logistical and financial infrastructure that Russia uses to export its own grain,” Lavrov explained.
The EU banned Russian vessels from entering its ports as part of the fifth package of sanctions adopted in April 2022. Lavrov’s comments follow accusations from Western nations that Russia is blocking Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea, something that Moscow has denied.
Lavrov said that there is no free exit from the ports of Ukraine because of the minefields that were installed by Ukrainian servicemen. He added however that Russia has reached agreements with Turkey that Ankara will help with the clearance of Ukrainian ports to free the ships stuck there.
Together, Russia and Ukraine export more than a quarter of the world’s wheat. UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, said last week that the situation with the global threat to grain supplies had become alarming for developing countries. He also said the conflict in Ukraine and the resulting sanctions on Russia affected the prices and availability of fertilizers, and these factors combined were propelling the cost of wheat, which could worsen the food crisis globally.
