Russia’s threat to exit Ukraine grain deal adds risk to global food security

UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths told the Security Council on Monday the deal is “critical” and talks were ongoing.

The United Nations is racing to extend a deal that has allowed for shipments of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea to parts of the world struggling with hunger, helping ease a global food crisis exacerbated by the war that Russia launched more than a year ago (Khalil Hamra/AP)

The United Nations is speedily trying to extend a deal that has allowed shipments of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea to parts of the world struggling with hunger – helping ease a global food crisis exacerbated by the war Russia launched more than a year ago.

The breakthrough accord that the UN and Turkey brokered with the warring sides last summer came with a separate agreement to ease shipments of Russian food and fertiliser that Moscow insists has not been applied.