RIYADH: Russia’s withdrawal on Saturday from the UN-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative is “politically irresponsible and undermines the humanitarian situation in the Middle East and North Africa,” Ukraine’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Anatolii Petrenko told Arab News.
Russia suspended its participation in the deal after what it said was a major Ukrainian drone attack on its naval fleet in Crimea.
Petrenko said: “It’s crucial to underscore that Russia concluded this grain initiative with the UN and Turkiye.” As such, its withdrawal “shows its inconsistency and unreliability to its commitments.”
He added: “As we speak, 176 ships with 2 million tons of grain on board are being blocked by Russia, waiting to be granted passage to their final destinations.”
Arab News tried to obtain comment from the Russian Embassy in Riyadh, but no response camw at the time of publishing the report.
The aim of the Black Sea Grain Initiative was to distribute vital food and fertilizer exports from Ukraine to the rest of the world. Petrenko said Ukraine is committed to maintaining its role as a “reliable grain supplier.”
On Saturday, Russian Agriculture Minister Dmitry Patrushev said with assistance from Turkey, his country was ready to supplant Ukrainian grain and supply up to 500,000 tons to countries in need in the next four months for free, Reuters reported.
Petrenko said: “We have serious reasons to believe that this is an attempt to smuggle grain previously stolen from the occupied territories of Ukraine.”
He urged Russia to “reverse its withdrawal” from the initiative and “recommit itself” to its implementation.
Russian withdrawal from grain deal will hurt MENA: Ukraine envoy
https://arab.news/cz7b2
Russian withdrawal from grain deal will hurt MENA: Ukraine envoy
- On Saturday, Russian Agriculture Minister Dmitry Patrushev said with assistance from Turkey, his country was ready to supplant Ukrainian grain
Europol warns Iran crisis raises threat of terror, extremism and cyberattacks
- Oorth said groups linked to Iran could seek to carry out “destabilising activities” within the EU
- “The level of terrorist threat and violent extremism in EU territory is considered high“
MADRID: The Middle East conflict will have “immediate repercussions” for European Union security with an increased threat of terrorism, serious and organized crime as well as violent extremism and cyberattacks, European police body Europol told Spanish news agency EFE on Thursday.
Europol spokesman Jan Op Gen Oorth said he expected to see more cyberattacks against European infrastructure and an increase in online fraud using increasingly sophisticated Artificial Intelligence and exploiting the flurry of information swirling about the conflict online, EFE reported.
Groups linked to Iran could seek to carry out “destabilising activities” within the EU, he added, referring to groups linked to the so-called Axis of Resistance, the network of anti-American and Israeli Shiite militias in countries including Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen. These could include terrorist attacks, intimidation campaigns, terrorist financing and cybercrime.
“The level of terrorist threat and violent extremism in EU territory is considered high,” he told the news agency.
The terror threat could be heightened by individuals acting alone or small cells acting on their own initiative, he said.
“The rapid spread of polarizing content on the Internet can accelerate short-term radicalization processes among diaspora communities within the EU and other individuals,” he said.
Europol did not immediately return a Reuters request for comment on the reported statements.
Iran and Israel on Thursday were exchanging fire on a sixth day of war after Israel and the United States launched joint air strikes on Iran on the weekend. So far the attacks have killed more than 1,000 people including Iran’s Supreme Leader, prompted Iran to attack neighbors including Qatar and UAE along with energy shipments.
