The UN said Friday its agreement with Moscow to facilitate exports of Russian foodstuffs and fertilizer to international markets in a bid to rein in global food prices would end this month.
The United Nations trade and development agency, UNCTAD, said in a statement the “final consultations meeting” on the deal had been held in Geneva, without giving more details.
A source close to the discussions, who asked not to be named, told AFP the three-year agreement “will not be renewed” when it expires on July 22, due to disagreements.
UNCTAD has taken the lead on UN efforts to limit increases in global food and fertilizer prices, which soared following Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, fueling fears of food insecurity.
The UN signed the agreement with Russia on July 22, 2022, with the aim of facilitating exports of Russian food and fertilizers, despite Western sanctions on Moscow.
In fact, the economic sanctions imposed on Russia after the invasion spared fertilizers and grain, but fear of accidentally ending up on the wrong side of the law had paralyzed transporters and caused insurance premiums to skyrocket.
After intense discussions, Russia and the UN established a framework to facilitate insurance and financial transactions that was compatible with US, British and European Union sanctions systems.
But Russia – the world’s largest fertilizer producer – had repeatedly complained the agreement was doing little to protect it from secondary sanctions effects.
A second agreement was also signed under the auspices of the UN on July 22, 2022, aimed at allowing the export of Ukrainian cereals blocked by Russia’s war in the country.
That deal was seen as more successful, but Moscow, angered over continued obstacles to trade in Russian agricultural products, refused to extend it after it lapsed in July 2023.