Russia’s foreign minister hinted that Moscow won’t back another extension of the Black Sea safe-transit deal that’s allowed Ukraine to export millions of tons of grain since last summer. Sergei Lavrov said the agreement has become “commercial,” repeating a talking point used regularly by him and President Vladimir Putin – that not enough of the grain has been shipped to poor countries. The pact is up for renewal July 17.
(Bloomberg) — Russia’s foreign minister hinted that Moscow won’t back another extension of the Black Sea safe-transit deal that’s allowed Ukraine to export millions of tons of grain since last summer. Sergei Lavrov said the agreement has become “commercial,” repeating a talking point used regularly by him and President Vladimir Putin – that not enough of the grain has been shipped to poor countries. The pact is up for renewal July 17.
European Union leaders are backing plans that would impose a windfall tax on profits generated by more than €200 billion ($217 billion) of sanctioned Russian central bank assets to aid Ukraine’s reconstruction, and will seek the political support of key Group of Seven countries.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy instructed his top brass to shore up Ukraine’s northern military command, on a day when the Belarusian defense ministry said additional Russian anti-aircraft systems had been moved there for “combat duty.” Denmark will donate another $190 million in defense aid to Ukraine, including air defense missiles and ammunition, Zelenskiy said.
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