A statement was released today by Stephane Dujarric, in behalf of Secretary General Antonio Guterres, to say that he has delayed his departure for the Arab League Summit by a day, in order to focus on “intense” contact work to try to restore the Black Sea Grain initiative. However, there is no mention of the fact of the Oct. 29 strikes against Sevastopol, the home port of Russian vessels providing safe passage for the grain corridor under the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which is therefore now suspended by Russia.
Today’s limp UN statement ends, as if nothing has happened, by stating that the UN engagement in contact work, “aims at the renewal and full implementation of the initiative to facilitate exports of food and fertilizer from Ukraine, as well as removing the remaining obstacles to the exports of Russian food and fertilizer.”
