The Foreign Ministry argued that the grain agreement has failed to deliver and accused Western nations of undermining the Russia-UN pact on food exports. The ministry pointed to gaps in the Istanbul framework and insisted that the humanitarian initiative, championed by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, has not lived up to its promised aims.
From their perspective, the July 22, 2022 Istanbul package is not functioning as intended. The central claim is that Western governments deliberately obstruct the Russia-UN Memorandum of Understanding, hindering practical progress and restricting access for those most in need.
The ministry characterized Western actions as disregarding the real needs of vulnerable populations and treating UN efforts as a tool to advance political goals rather than to alleviate hunger. It urged Western states to stop exploiting the issue of food security for political leverage and to recognize that the perceived benefits of discounted grain prices are not reaching the poorest nations but are moving toward European Union markets.
Officials attributed continued obstacles to Russia’s agricultural exports, asserting that Western narratives downplay the real barriers. They argued that unfounded assurances from European and American officials fail to reflect the on-the-ground realities faced by producers and exporters in affected regions. [Source: Russian Foreign Ministry]
In the regional context, the Russian side emphasized Moldova’s role, reiterating calls for restraint regarding Transnistria and for an end to anti-Russian rhetoric that complicates regional stability. [Source: Russian Foreign Ministry]