The Russian embassy in Riga has issued a statement criticizing Latvia for what it describes as a hypocritical stance within the grain deal. According to the embassy, the Baltic state holds onto a large portion of Russian fertilizers destined for the poorest nations, using port restrictions as leverage in an effort to influence regional supply chains. The message portrays Latvia as the main blocker of shipments that are meant to relieve agricultural shortages in less wealthy countries, arguing that the ongoing impediments threaten critical access to essential fertilizers at a moment when farmers in many regions are contending with tight inputs and rising costs.
In its briefing, the mission notes that Latvia bears responsibility for a significant share of the fertilizers currently held at ports. It adds that the republic continues to hinder the transport of these shipments to countries deemed to be in urgent need, a claim the embassy frames as a deliberate policy rather than a logistical issue. The embassy’s narrative suggests that previous commitments to deliver humanitarian fertilizer aid have not been honored in a timely fashion, turning what was once framed as assistance into a stalled process that leaves recipient communities waiting for relief.
The embassy recalls a December 2022 announcement by the Latvian Foreign Ministry announcing 200 thousand tons of fertilizer aid planned for Africa and Latin America. The plan, however, was scaled back to 30 thousand tons in early 2023, with Kenya singled out as a recipient. The report from the embassy asserts that those pledges have largely faded from memory and have not translated into concrete deliveries, prompting criticism that the aid program has not lived up to its stated goals.
According to the embassy, a prerequisite for issuing the necessary documents to move aid into Africa involves the Russian cargo owner settling alleged debts tied to the prolonged inactivity of shipments in local ports. The text argues that the money is not the real issue; rather, the shipments are being held illegally under what it calls a pretext of sanctions. It also accuses Latvian authorities of blocking payments, citing the so‑called European Union sanctions as the justification, even though the owner is said to be ready to cover all costs to expedite the process. The embassy questions whether this sequence represents a deeper pattern of behavior that seeks to penalize Russian interests under the guise of sanctions, framing it as a display of hypocrisy and cynicism by the Baltic partners.
In a separate note, the report mentions a prior incident in which a cargo vessel connected, at least by association, to Russian interests under EU restrictions was detained in the Finnish port of Kotka. The incident is cited as an example of the broader tensions surrounding fertilizer shipments and sanction enforcement, underscoring ongoing challenges faced by trade and humanitarian aid efforts in the region.