Washington welcomes the agreement between Russia and Ukraine on the export of grain

The United States on Thursday welcomed the agreement between Russia and Ukraine on the export of grain, which will be signed in Istanbul on Friday, calling on Moscow to implement it.

"We welcome the announcement of this agreement in principle, but what matters now is holding Russia responsible for implementing this agreement and allowing Ukrainian grain to reach world markets," State Department spokesman Ned Price said.

"We should not have been in this situation from the start. It was a deliberate decision by Russia to use food fertilizer as a weapon," he added.

Price praised in particular the diplomatic efforts made by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Turkey, whose positions have often conflicted in recent years with the United States over the Syria crisis and arms purchases from Russia.

The spokesman said that Washington was informed of the details of the agreement.

The prices of food fertilizers have risen dramatically in the world since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, one of the largest exporters of grain, and this crisis has affected especially the poorest countries.

The agreement, which has been negotiating for more than two months, aims to remove about twenty million tons of Ukrainian grain suspended due to the conflict through the Black Sea, while facilitating Russian exports of fertilizers and grains.

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