Egypt hopeful after Russian return to Ukraine grain deal
Russia’s return to the agreement on grain exports from Ukraine will help North African countries secure their wheat needs, as they heavily rely on the two warring countries for their imports.
CAIRO — Russia’s Defense Ministry announced Nov. 2 that Moscow was rejoining the deal to allow the export of grains from Ukraine via the Black Sea. Russia had suspended its participation in the agreement in October after it accused Kyiv of carrying out drone attacks on its naval fleet stationed in the Crimean Peninsula.
The Russian return to the agreement — which was struck in July and allowed the export of some 10 million tons of Ukrainian grain — constitutes a major breakthrough in the wheat supply to Africa, especially North African countries, including Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Sudan and others, which import most of their wheat needs from Russia and Ukraine, the world’s largest exporters of wheat.
