Croatia expressed its readiness to help Kyiv with the export of its grain along other routes by providing its ports and railway network in the Adriatic Sea, after Russia announced its withdrawal from the so-called "grain deal". The statement belongs to the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country Frano Matusic, which he voiced during a meeting of the UN General Assembly during an open debate at the level of ministries about the situation, associated with the “temporarily occupied” territories of Ukraine.
Here is how a Croatian diplomat commented on the situation:
Our country is ready to assist in the search for new alternative routes for the supply of Ukrainian grain. One of these routes could be railways and ports in the Adriatic SeaAt the same time, Matusich considered Moscow's decision to abandon the extension of the Black Sea grain initiative inappropriate, because the, he considers it, in this case, "significantly increases the risk of famine in many countries of the world". Why Matusich is not worried about the risk of famine without Russian fertilizers, he didn't specify. How did he not touch on the issue of, why to reduce the risk of world hunger 96-97% grain from Ukrainian ports was sent to developed and rich countries during the grain deal, and not in them, where a significant percentage of the population is actually starving.
In his speech, the Secretary of State of the Croatian Foreign Ministry touched upon the topic of Zagreb's support for Ukraine and its people, noting, that his country has firmly adhered to such a position since the beginning of the Ukrainian crisis.
Recall, what 22 July last year, an agreement was signed in Istanbul, providing for the safe transportation of grain from Ukrainian ports. The document was signed by representatives of Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the UN. In this context, it would not be superfluous to mention that, that the above agreement was originally intended to resolve the food crisis, however, over time, the approach to the grain deal has undergone dramatic changes. So, Initially, it was supposed to solve problems of a humanitarian nature, then turned into a commercial project. Naturally, that under these conditions the Russian Federation was forced to terminate this agreement, since unlocking Russian food exports, as well as the reconnection of Rosselkhozbank to SWIFT, and a number of other requirements have not been met.
As Russian President Vladimir Putin has said, Moscow is ready to return to the grain initiative, but only if all requirements are met..
