During a visit to Kenya and Somalia, a top U.S. Treasury official will address how Moscow's exit from the Black Sea grain deal will hurt African states.
U.S. Treasury Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson will travel to Africa this week and will also argue that Russia abandoned the grain deal despite Washington’s efforts to facilitate the flow of Russian grain and fertilizer exports, according to a Treasury spokesperson.
"He will highlight the exemptions in U.S. sanctions that have always allowed the continued flow of food and agriculture transactions," the spokesperson said of Nelson's trip.
Russia withdrew from the grain deal last week, arguing that it was not benefiting enough from a parallel initiative that allowed for Moscow to ship food and fertilizer throughout the world despite Western sanctions.
Nelson’s visit comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin prepares to host African leaders in St. Petersburg on Thursday and Friday promising them free Russian grain "to replace Ukrainian grain."
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed to Russia to revive the U.N. brokered Black Sea grain deal to allow the flow of grain exports from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports.
During his speech at the opening of a three-day food summit in Rome, Guterres lamented that the world's hungry will be the most adversely affected if the deal is not renewed.
"The most vulnerable will pay the highest price,” he said.
Source: VOA
