Putin sees grain deal blockade as ‘bloodstained exclusive’ – President Zelensky

Russia’s blockade of the Black Sea Grain Initiative is about pressure and money, i.e. it is the so-called ‘bloodstained exclusive’.

The relevant statement was made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an interview with Globo, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“We are talking about hunger, about the survival of the world, about the social chaos that can be caused by the lack of grain supplies. And for him [Putin - Ed.], it is pressure and money, because he sells his own grain by blocking our grain. This is a kind of bloodstained exclusive. This is the behavior of a person who does not respect international law, or who is given the opportunity to not respect this law,” Zelensky told.

The Head of State mentioned that food security is an important clause of the Ukrainian Peace Formula. And food security, according to Zelensky, provides for the free movement of grain through the Black Sea corridor, which is now “blocked by one person with threats, shelling and warships”.

The President of Ukraine emphasized that it is only Putin who benefits from the current situation.

“By getting rid of Ukraine as a competitor, Russia gives the world a more expensive product and, at the same time, influences certain African, Asian and Latin American states,” Zelensky noted.

In his words, at the moment it is only the rule of force that is in effect for Russia. Nothing else exists for this country, either humanism or international law. Hence, President Zelensky believes that Türkiye and the United Nations should also use their law of might and put pressure on Russia. Accordingly, other countries suffering from the threat of famine should also pressure Russia.

A reminder that, on July 17, 2023, Russia announced its withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative.