Russia Discussing Export Of Potash Fertilizers, Ukrainian Grain - Senior Diplomat

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th May, 2022) Russia is reviewing the prospects of resuming the export of potash fertilizers and allowing grain to be exported from Ukraine, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin told Sputnik on Wednesday.

On Monday, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing diplomatic sources, that the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres asked Moscow to allow grain shipments leave Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea. In return, Guterres promised to help ease sanctions against the export of fertilizers from Russia and Belarus. According to the newspaper, Turkey, as one of the countries bordering the Black Sea, expressed the readiness to step in this deal, including by searching for and neutralizing sea mines and managing grain bulk carrier vessels. The same day, United States Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that Guterres discussed this initiative with the US as well.

"It is a complicated issue. You know, potash and mineral fertilizers, grain, and the possibility of exporting Ukrainian grain - it is a complex tangle of issues that are being considered," Pankin said when asked to comment on the WSJ article, adding that the problem is "not being discussed at UN level, but is being discussed with us.

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On Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented on the possibility of easing the restrictions on the export of fertilizers from Russia in exchange for the passage of ships with grain from Ukraine, noting that the ports are mined, which is dangerous for shipping. Peskov also confirmed that Guterres discussed this issue at a recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to the spokesman, the UN chief admitted that direct and indirect restrictions imposed on Russian fertilizer suppliers spelled grave dangers for global food security.

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Russia and Ukraine were among the top global exporters of various types of staple foods, including wheat and corn, in 2021, while Russia was also a leading exporter of nitrogen fertilizers, the second major supplier of potassium fertilizers and the third largest supplier of phosphorus fertilizers. Ukraine's food production is now being threatened by factors such as disruption of logistics, loss of access to agricultural lands, labor shortages, damage to crops due to hostilities, and destruction of food system assets and infrastructure.