MOSCOW, OCT 24: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that Moscow has asked the United Nations for data on the destination and end-consumers for Ukrainian grain exports, saying that “corrections” to a deal to unblock shipments from Black Sea ports would depend on this information.
Speaking at a press briefing broadcast on state television, Lavrov said: “This is not just curiosity. The correction or redirection of further actions to implement the grain deal depend on it”.
Russia in July signed up to a Turkish-brokered deal to facilitate Ukrainian grain shipments that it had blocked since the start of its war with Ukraine. Russia has since said the deal is not directing grain to the world’s poorest countries, and cast doubt on whether it will opt to renew it in future.
During his briefing, Lavrov said that between 5% and 7% of the grain concerned was reaching the world’s poorest countries, with around 50% of the exports being shipped to the European Union.
