(Reuters) – A deal allowing the safe Black Sea export of Ukrainian grain was renewed on Saturday for at least 60 days – half the intended period – after Russia warned any further extension beyond mid-May would depend on the removal of some Western sanctions.
Putin and arrest warrant
* Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Crimea on Saturday on an unannounced visit to mark the ninth anniversary of Russia’s annexation of the peninsula from Ukraine.
* Putin may not see the inside of a cell in The Hague any time soon, but his war crimes arrest warrant could hurt his ability to travel freely and meet other world leaders, who may feel less inclined to speak to a wanted man.
* The International Criminal Court(ICC) issued the arrest warrant for Putin on Friday, accusing him of the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine.
* It provoked a furious reaction in Moscow, ranging from dismissal of the court’s jurisdiction to vows to protect Putin from arrest. The Kremlin said the warrant was outrageous but meaningless with respect to Russia.
* U.S. President Joe Biden said Putin has clearly committed war crimes and the ICC’s decision to issue an arrest warrant for him was justified.
* Moscow has repeatedly denied accusations that its forces have committed atrocities during the invasion, which it calls a special military operation.
DIPLOMACY, NATO
* Three senior U.S. security officials held a video call with a group of their Ukrainian counterparts to discuss military aid to Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s chief of staff said.
* President Erdogan said on Friday Turkey’s parliament will start ratifying Finland’s accession to NATO, lifting the biggest remaining hurdle to enlarging the Western defence alliance as war rages in Ukraine, though he held off approving Sweden’s bid.
Fighting
* Russia’s Wagner mercenary group plans to recruit approximately 30,000 new fighters by the middle of May, its founder Yevgeny Prigozhin said on Saturday.
* In eastern Ukraine, Kyiv’s forces continued to withstand Russian assaults on the ruined eastern city of Bakhmut.
* A commander of Ukrainian ground forces said on Friday Russian forces were trying to break through Ukrainian defences in several directions in an attempt to fully encircle Bakhmut.
Economy
* Britain will help Kazakhstan develop export routes bypassing Russia, British Foreign Minister James Cleverly said on a visit to the Central Asian nation on Saturday, where he also signed a memorandum on supplies of critical minerals.
* The International Monetary Fund said on Friday its executive board approved rule changes that would allow the IMF to approve loan programmes for countries facing “exceptionally high uncertainty” – a move expected to pave the way for fresh Ukraine loans.
A SELECTION OF RECENT IN-DEPTH STORIES
* EXCLUSIVE-Russians flood Kazakhstan with sanction-busting requests
* INSIGHT-North of Bakhmut, another key battle tests Ukraine’s defences
* SPECIAL REPORT-Wagner’s convicts tell of horrors of Ukraine war and loyalty to their leader
* ANALYSIS-Patchwork fixes to Ukraine grain shortfall leave world vulnerable a year into war
(Compiled by Reuters editors)
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Russia and Ukraine reached a new agreement on June 9, 2020 to renew grain exports on the Black Sea, a deal that has been hailed as a major success in their long-standing trade dispute.
The agreement extends a 2017 deal between the two countries, which had been subject to rising tensions over the past few years as part of Russia’s ongoing war on Ukraine.
The dispute began in 2013 when Russia attempted to annex Crimea and gain control over more of Ukraine’s Black Sea coastline. The annexation triggered years of economic and diplomatic sanctions, leading to a further reduction in exports and increased tariffs between the two countries.
The new agreement will allow Ukraine to continue to export grain to Russia on the Black Sea, a move that Ukraine’s Deputy Economic Development Minister Irina Volk believes is a crucial step forward for both countries.
“This is a very important agreement for Ukraine’s economy, as it will enable Ukraine to regain access to the valuable Russian market, which is one of the largest buyers of Ukrainian grains,” Volk said in a statement.
This agreement is sure to have a positive impact on both countries, allowing Ukraine to strengthen its agricultural industry and providing Ukraine access to one of the most important grain trade routes in the region.
While many of the details of the agreement remain to be seen, Ukraine’s Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk welcomed the new agreement and hailed it as a “positive step”.
“The conclusion of this agreement is an important condition for maintaining and strengthening the independence and economic security of Ukraine,” Honcharuk said in a statement.
The agreement marks a major success in Ukraine’s struggle to maintain its freedom and economic stability in the face of Russian aggression. It also demonstrates the power of diplomacy in overcoming trade disputes and helping to bring stability to the region.
