Moscow returning to Black Sea grain deal

Russia said on Wednesday it would resume its participation in a deal to free up vital grain exports from Ukraine after suspending it over the weekend.

The Russian defense ministry said it had received written guarantees from Kyiv not to use the Black Sea grain corridor for military operations against Russia.

"The Russian Federation considers that the guarantees received at the moment appear sufficient, and resumes the implementation of the agreement," the ministry statement said.

The ministry said Kyiv guaranteed "the non-use of the humanitarian corridor and Ukrainian ports defined in the interests of the export of agricultural products for conducting military operations against the Russian Federation".

The announcement came after Russian President Vladimir Putin told Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan a day earlier that he wanted "real guarantees" from Ukraine that it will not use the Black Sea corridor for military activities before rejoining the grain agreement.

The deal, brokered by Turkiye and the United Nations, allowed Ukrainian grain products to resume exports, easing a global food crisis caused by the conflict.

On Saturday, Russia accused Ukraine of misusing the safe-shipping corridor for an attack on Russian ships in Crimea and suspended its participation in the deal.

The corridor was touted as a way to secure food supplies to the neediest nations. Moscow is ready to supply African nations with "large volumes" of grain and fertilizers out of its own stocks for free, Putin said.

Erdogan earlier said that Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu had told his Turkish counterpart that the July 22 grain deal would continue to operate as of midday on Wednesday.

The prices of wheat, soybeans, corn and rapeseed fell sharply on global markets following the announcement, which eased concerns about the growing unaffordability of food.

In a Tuesday night video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said ships were moving out of Ukrainian ports with cargoes thanks to the work of Turkiye and the United Nations.

The grain deal, which was due to be renewed on Nov 19, was intended to combat the global food shortages stoked by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The agreement has allowed more than 9.7 million tons of grain and other foodstuffs to leave Ukrainian ports.

The grain deal aims to help avert famine in poorer countries by injecting more wheat, sunflower oil and fertilizer into world markets and to ease a steep rise in prices. It targeted the prewar level of 5 million metric tons exported from Ukraine each month.

Agencies contributed to this story.