World on brink of food crisis after Russia pulls out of vital grain deal

Russia has pulled out of an agreement designed to keep grain flowing out of Ukraine and into the global market.

The war’s impact on Ukraine’s huge agricultural industry caused food shortages and massive price rises in some of the world’s poorest countries before a the compromise was reached.

A deal has been in place for three months allowing ships carrying vital cargo to pass through the Black Sea, which Russia’s navy control.

But the Kremlin has now axed the deal after accusing Kyiv of launching attacks on naval vessels in the early hours of this morning.

Ukraine denies launching the attack and accuses the Kremlin of ‘inventing terrorist attacks’.

The move raises the prospect of a fresh food crisis, which earlier this year forced global health leaders to warn about the prospect of mass starvation.

The United Nations-brokered deal has allowed nine million tons of grain to leave Ukraine, pushing down prices globally.

A UN spokesperson confirmed it had received reports the deal has broken down.

They added: ‘It is vital that all parties refrain from any action that would imperil the Black Sea Grain Initiative which is a critical humanitarian effort that is clearly having a positive impact on access to food for millions of people around the world.’

Ukraine’s foreign minister accused Moscow of using a ‘false pretext’ to suspend its participation in the Black Sea grain corridor on Saturday.

Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter: ‘I call on all states to demand Russia to stop its hunger games and recommit to its obligations.’

It comes on the same day the Kremlin, without offering any evidence, accused the Royal Navy of involvement with the Nord Stream explosions and Black Sea strikes this morning.

A UK Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: ‘To detract from their disastrous handling of the illegal invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Ministry of Defence is resorting to peddling false claims of an epic scale.

‘This invented story, says more about arguments going on inside the Russian government than it does about the West.’

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