Russia has specified that it will inspect ships heading to Ukrainian ports for weapons, after the Defense Ministry assured that it will consider all such ships, regardless of their flag, “potential” military targets.
“We must make sure. It is totally logical, especially after the attacks that have been committed,” said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin at a press conference.
He explained that, as is usual practice in inspections at sea, a request is sent and then the review is carried out to confirm that the ship does not carry “bad” cargo. “Now there is no longer a marine humanitarian corridor, now it is an area of ??maximum military risk,” she stressed.
After Moscow began its attempted blockade of the Ukrainian coastline, kyiv responded that it also considers any ship heading for Russian ports to be a military objective.
The diplomat has assured that, in addition to “force measures”, there are other economic-financial measures linked to the insurance of the ships involved.
It has also recognized that Moscow is looking for new routes for its grain and fertilizers, after the suspension of the Black Sea Initiative on Monday, and for this it maintains contacts with Turkey.
Of course, he considered the possibility that Turkish Navy ships could escort Ukrainian bulk carriers “dangerous” and “unfeasible”, and also rejected the transfer of these ships through the territorial waters of several countries until they reach the Bosphorus.
“I don’t think you can bypass Russia, no matter what Kiev says, when it comes to solving the problems linked to the Black Sea, to food security. It’s simply impossible,” he said.
In this regard, he assured that Moscow takes into account the concern that the suspension of the agreement has aroused in African countries on the eve of the Russia-Africa summit next week in Saint Petersburg.
“Of course, there are contacts, efforts so that, in this sense, African countries do not feel the negative consequences,” he said, although he admitted that there are still no concrete agreements.
As for the grain held in European ports, he noted that only Malawi and Kenya have received part of it since the start of the war almost a year and a half ago.
In addition, Vershinin stressed that the memorandum signed between Russia and the UN for the safe export of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea is still in force, although he insisted that it cannot be fulfilled until Moscow’s conditions are accepted, including the reconnection of the Russian agricultural bank, Rosseljozbank, to the SWIFT international banking system.
“The ball is in the field of our partners,” he asserted and stressed that, if these conditions are met, there will be no food deficit in the world.
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