Question: Could you, please, comment on the statements by the Head of European Diplomacy Josep Borrell and the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, arguing that Russia blaming the EU for not fulfilling its commitments under the Grain Deal is “complete nonsense” and calling Russia’s decision not to extend the Black Sea Initiative “cynical”?
Answer: Such a sharp reaction shows that now the European Union badly needs to evade a reasonable question from the states of Asia, Africa and Latin America: wasn't it Brussels – first by its actions and then by its inaction – that provoked the global food crisis? I guess the Global South countries did notice that Russia's decision not to extend the Black Sea Initiative was not a surprise to the EU. The European Union was not just waiting for it, but was working hard to create all the relevant preconditions. Brussels publicly stated that there would be no exceptions for Rosselkhozbank in terms of connecting it to the SWIFT system. They pretended not to have noticed the blowing up of the Togliatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline. Our ships with free aid to African countries were blocked by "civilised" Europeans. And this this list is far from being exhaustive.
Well, we will not involve in a global “what went wrong” exercise with the EU. Today, we find it much more important to further clarify certain obvious points to non-Western countries. First of all, without the illegitimate EU sanctions against Russia, there would have been no need for the Black Sea Initiative as such. These restrictions are aimed at undermining the Russian economy, so why would Brussels be concerned about the third countries’ food security? The EU does not care about that now, it has more pressing tasks on the "eastern front" and believes that the Global South may remain patient for the time being. Therefore, we do not need to justify our position to anyone in Brussels. In the meantime, Russia will continue to work diligently on building stable supply routes, which would not depend on the whims of the European Union, to deliver agricultural products and fertilisers to countries in need. I am convinced that the Global South shares our interest in implementing this approach to food security.
