Russia suggests alternative 'Grain Initiative' without Ukraine

According to the publication, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has proposed an alternative initiative. He suggests a scheme in which Qatar would pay Moscow for delivering Russian grain to Türkiye. Türkiye would then distribute the crop to "countries in need."

However, both Qatar and Türkiye have rejected this idea. As stated by a source, it is unlikely that Qatar will support this proposal.

It is worth noting that Russia first presented a similar idea back in 2022 when it briefly withdrew from the "grain deal." The idea then was for the aggressor country to send up to one million tons of grain to Türkiye on preferential terms. Qatar would pay for it, and the grain would be supplied to Türkiye for further shipment to Africa.

As reported by a Ukrainian source, all efforts were made at that time to prevent the idea from being implemented.

Russia's withdrawal from the "grain deal"

On July 17, Russia announced its withdrawal from the "grain deal," claiming that the conditions set by the Kremlin were not being met.

In addition, for several months, the Kremlin did not ensure the stable operation of the "grain corridor," as it blocked inspections of ships and shelled grain terminals in Odesa ports.

In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed to Türkiye and the UN to extend the "grain deal" in a trilateral format.

Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense threatened that any ships heading to Black Sea ports would be considered engaged in the war. In turn, Ukraine promised to respond in kind.