Ankara has repeatedly informed Western states that the poorest countries were not receiving enough food under the Black Sea Grain Initiative, and offered multiple options for facilitating the transit of Russian grain to countries in need, a source familiar with the talks told Sputnik on Tuesday.
"Yes, the statistics show that this is true [countries in need are supplied less grain than prescribed under the deal]. This issue has been repeatedly raised officially by Ankara, including by the president [Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan] in contacts with Western partners. It has been openly voiced. This fact was stated in phone talks between the Turkish president and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ankara offered different options for processing and delivering Russian products to countries in need," the source said.
The source also said that if Russia decides to quit the deal, consequences will likely occur for all other stakeholders.
"No, I am unable to provide you with the exact figures, as we have not conducted such calculations yet, but analysts have determined the possible risks. I would say that there is a very clear understanding that such an outcome will in one way or another affect all participants of the market, up to its destabilization. No one wants this, and we continue our efforts in this context," the source added.
Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations struck a deal to provide a humanitarian maritime corridor for ships carrying food and fertilizer from Ukrainian Black Sea ports on July 22, 2022. The package deal included a memorandum between the UN and Russia on facilitating the export of Russian food and fertilizer.
The grain deal is due to expire on July 17. Moscow has agreed to all prior extensions of the deal but complained that its memorandum component was not being fully implemented, specifically with regard to reconnecting the Russian Agricultural Bank to SWIFT and resuming fertilizer transit through the Tolyatti-Odesa ammonia pipeline, which was partially blown up in June in a sabotage that Moscow said was carried out by Kiev.