Millions of Africans at Risk as Russia Pulls out of Ukraine Grain Deal

By Boris Esono Nwenfor

BUEA, July 18, 2023 – Russia has officially pulled out from the Ukraine Grain Deal after notifying the UN, Turkey and Ukraine on Monday, July 17 that it would not renew the deal, accusing the West of “not keeping its side of the bargain.”

The deal formally came to an end at midnight Tuesday. It had let cargo ships pass through the Black Sea from the ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk and Yuzhny/Pivdennyi. Russia said it would return to the agreement if its conditions were met.

The decision has been condemned by world leaders, who say it will affect some of the planet's poorest people. The deal that was signed a year ago allowed Ukraine to export its grain to global markets. This decision has raised fears of rising prices and food shortages in developing nations. The U.N. says Ukraine has shipped 32.9 million metric tons of grain under the agreement.

"Russia's decision to resume its effective blockade of Ukrainian ports and prevent this grain from getting to markets will harm people all over the world," National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said during a White House briefing. "Russia will be fully and solely responsible for the consequences of this military act of aggression."

"There's no possible way mathematically we're going to get as much grain out now. "There's no possible way mathematically we're going to get as much grain out now," Kirby said.

"Russia is ending this initiative and sending a message that grain cannot and other food products cannot leave Ukraine unimpeded," Secretary of State Antony Blinken

In an address of his own, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had submitted a proposal to the Turkish president and the Secretary-General of the United Nations to carry on the grain deal without Russia's participation and would work with the mediators on the next steps, ABC News reported.

"Even without the Russian Federation, everything must be done so that we can use this Black Sea corridor," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

NATO Secretary-General Antonio Guterres mourned Moscow's exit. He said: "Ultimately, participation in these agreements is a choice. But struggling people everywhere and developing countries don't have a choice," he said in a statement. "Hundreds of millions of people face hunger and consumers are confronting a global cost-of-living crisis. They will pay the price."

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. accused Russia of using food as a weapon in its war against Ukraine, and, in turn, created a global food security crisis. Before the invasion, Ukraine grew enough food to feed 400 million people. And Ukraine and Russia together accounted for one-third of the world's wheat exports.

"We have seen an increase in food prices, globally. We hope that Russia will continue to give its support to the Black Sea Agreement, it was a signatory to it and I am pleased that on March 18, when the first agreement expired, Russia also agreed to extend the accord," Christopher Fomunyoh, Regional Director for Central and West Africa at National Democratic Institute (NDI) and a Goodwill Ambassador for the program, told VOA's Mohamadou Houmfa in April.

"I hope that during this extension period, we will deliver more grain to African countries in need. It is not just for African countries as there is a shipment on its way to Yemen. I am hoping that the existence of this agreement will allow humanity to benefit from the generosity of the people of Ukraine."

The Grain from Ukraine humanitarian program was established to overcome the global food crisis, particularly in countries most affected by hunger. More than 30 countries and international organizations, including EU member states, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, Korea, and Qatar, have joined the Grain from Ukraine program, raising more than $200 million in donations.