photo: Bakery and Snacks/Russia is unlikely to reach an agreement on the unblocking of Ukrainian grain, intending to use the threat of global hunger as a tool in any future negotiations
According to Bloomberg, Europe doubts Russia's readiness to agree to unblock Ukrainian grain and the UN-sponsored negotiations with Ukraine and Russia still cannot move forward.
It seems like the Kremlin wants to lift sanctions and intends to use the threat of global hunger as a tool in any future peace talks. However, the United States has said it has not imposed sanctions on Russian agricultural products, so they do not see a link between the sanctions and grain exports.
Some sources note that Ukrainian and Russian ministers may shortly meet in Istanbul. The negotiations under the auspices of the UN will be aimed at reaching an agreement this month to move 2 million tons of grain per month from July.
In the European Union and other countries, there is a separate discussion on the use of ports in Poland and Romania and the possibility of rail connections with ports in the Netherlands, Germany, and the Adriatic. US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that the United States was working to build temporary storage facilities in Poland and elsewhere along the border with Ukraine so that grain could then be shipped by train.
Overland export routes are likely to be much slower and face several logistical challenges, including congested rail networks, congested ports in Eastern Europe and varying rail gauges in Europe. And even if these issues are resolved, the source said, it will not completely replace grain exports from Black Sea ports.
It is said that Putin directly linked the issue of grain exports to the lifting of sanctions against Russia, and his officials now claim that the food shortage is the result of these sanctions.
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