Russia U-turns stance, to resume Black Sea grain deal midday

Russia will resume its participation in the Black Sea grain deal, its defence ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

“The Russian Federation considers that the guarantees received at the moment appear sufficient, and resumes the implementation of the agreement,” the ministerial statement read.

The confirmation came moments after Turkey announced Russia had agreed to resume the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which was brokered by Turkey and the UN.

Moscow has suspended its involvement in the deal over the weekend, saying it could not guarantee the safety of civilian ships crossing the Black Sea because of an attack on its fleet there.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said earlier after a call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that the Black Sea grain deal was set to resume at midday Turkish time (5 a.m. ET or 9 a.m.).

“After our phone conversation with Putin yesterday, as of noon today, grain shipments will continue as previously planned,” Turkey’s Anadolu state news agency quoted Erdogan as saying at a party meeting in parliament on Wednesday.

The deal enables the shipment of millions of tons of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea and it aims to help avoid famine in poorer countries by injecting more wheat, sunflower oil, and fertiliser into world markets.