The spokesman for the United States Department of State, Ned Price, has applauded the agreement that Russia and Ukraine will sign this Friday for the export of Ukrainian grain, although he has warned that the “important” thing is that the Russian side complies with the pact.
“We applaud the hard work of the UN secretary general. We applaud the diligent work of our Turkish allies. And this is something that not only the United States has asked for… The fact is that, to date, Russia has turned the food in weapons during this conflict,” Price said at a press conference.
The United States has singled out Russia for allegedly destroying agricultural facilities and preventing millions of tons of Ukrainian grain from reaching “those who need it,” which is why it has been skeptical that Russia will now honor what was agreed with Ukraine and Turkey.
In this sense, Price has reiterated that the country “welcomes the announcement”, and that it is now focused “on demanding that Russia take responsibility for the application of this agreement and allow Ukrainian grain to reach world markets” .
“Russia has enacted this blockade for far too long. It is a reflection of Russia’s wanton disregard for lives and livelihoods, not just in the region, but far beyond that we have had to get to this point,” he said. assured the State Department spokesman.
On the other hand, Price has detailed that, although the United States has not actively participated in the mediation to achieve the agreement, it has supported the United Nations, Turkey and Ukraine “in their efforts” to reach it.
“We have been briefed by the UN at various stages. Our experts have compared and shared notes with their experts. The same goes for our Turkish allies and our Ukrainian partners,” Price added.
The Turkish authorities have reported this Wednesday afternoon that Russia and Ukraine have reached an agreement for the export of cereals from Ukrainian ports and that this Friday at 4:30 p.m. (local time) the signing of the pact will take place in Istanbul.
Until now, much of the international community has held Russia responsible for blocking the export of food from Ukrainian ports and across the Black Sea. However, Moscow defends itself against these accusations and directly points to kyiv for causing this situation that, according to the United Nations, generates a negative impact on the entire planet.
Source: Europa Press
