U.N.-backed inspections needed to clear ships carrying Ukrainian grain to the world have fallen by half their peak rate, according to data provided to AP. Some U.S. and Ukrainian officials accuse Russia of a deliberate slowdown, which Russia denies.
Proponents hoped a November extension of the deal would spur an acceleration of inspections — and thus help ship millions of tons of food out of three Ukrainian ports disrupted byBut Power said the U.S. was “very concerned” that Moscow might be deliberately dragging its heels on inspections.
Asked whether Russia was deliberately slowing the inspections, Alexander Pchelyakov, a spokesman for the Russian diplomatic mission to U.N. institutions in Geneva, said: “That’s simply not true.”“The Russian side adheres to the number of daily inspections in accordance to the reached agreements,” he said by text message.
The time needed for inspections was “artificially increased by checking the performance of vessels,” it added, saying there were cases “when Russians refuse to work for fictitious reasons.” Overall under the deal, 17.8 million tons of Ukrainian agricultural products have been exported to 43 countries since Aug. 1, the U.N. said. China — a key ally of Russia — has been a top recipient, followed by Spain and Turkey.
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