Welcome to European Tribune. It's gone a bit quiet around here these days, but it's still going.
Display:
hmm, yes, well, "wheat" for "starving Africans" and "JCC"  are searchable eurotrib KEYWORDS to use, if you care to recap The Grain Deal® progress: MY 2021/2022 world producers, Ukraine principal buyers, Ukraine port conditions, mine sweeping, in/outbound vessel movements since 1 Aug from 3, covered ports, and actual cargo delivered.

Resolution of disagreement among the parties
Reuters | Russia's statement on resuming participation in Black Sea grain deal, 2 Nov

Here is a translation by Reuters from the Russian....
India Narative | Russia returns to Black Sea Grain Initiative after 'written guarantees', 2 Nov
The United Nations, which is backing the initiative signed by Russia, Ukraine[,] and Turkey in Istanbul on July 22 in order to give global access to Ukrainian food products and Russian food and fertilizer, too[,] announced that it will not to plan any movement of vessels in the region for Wednesday....
China Daily | Moscow returning to Black Sea grain deal, 3 Nov
The Russian defense ministry said it had received written guarantees from Kyiv not to use the Black Sea grain corridor for military operations against Russia.

"The Russian Federation considers that the guarantees received at the moment appear sufficient, and resumes the implementation of the agreement," the ministry statement said.

Daily Sabah | Türkiye, Russia agree to send grains to African countries for free, 4 Nov
"In my phone call with (Russian President) Vladimir Putin, he said, 'Let's send this grain to countries such as Djibouti, Somalia[,] and Sudan for free' - and we agreed," Erdoğan said in his speech during the MÜSIAD EXPO in Istanbul.

The comment came after Russia on Wednesday resumed its participation in the United Nations and Türkiye-brokered grain agreement, ending four days of non-cooperation that still saw exports continue from Ukrainian ports.
[...]
The U.N. and Türkiye brokered separate deals with Russia and Ukraine in July to ensure Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia would receive grain and other food from the Black Sea region during Russia's war in Ukraine.

The 120-day deal pact is up for renewal on Nov. 19, three days after the G-20 summit concludes.

reference
UN | Initiative on the Safe Transportation of Grain and Foodstuffs from Ukrainian Ports
[...]
B. Inspection teams will be set up in Türkiye. The inspection teams in Türkiye will consist of
representatives from all Parties and the UN. Vessels will transit to and enter the Ukrainian ports in
line with the JCC-approved schedule upon the vessels' inspection by an Inspection Team. The primary responsibility of the Inspection Teams will be to check for the absence of unauthorised cargoes and personnel on board vessels inbound to or outbound from the Ukrainian ports.

C. All activities in Ukrainian territorial waters will be under authority and responsibility of Ukraine.

The Parties will not undertake any attacks against merchant vessels and other civilian vessels and port facilities engaged in this Initiative.

Should demining be required, a minesweeper of another country, agreed by all Parties, shall sweep the approaches to the Ukrainian ports, as necessary.
[...]
E. To prevent any provocations and incidents, the movement of vessels transiting the maritime humanitarian corridor will be monitored by the Parties remotely. No military ships, aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) may approach the maritime humanitarian corridor closer than a distance agreed by the JCC, without the authorization of the JCC, and after consultation with all Parties.
[...]
H. This initiative will remain in effect for 120 days from the date of signature by all Parties and can be extended automatically for the same period, unless one of the Parties notifies the other of the intent to terminate the initiative or to modify it.
[...]

AFAIK, texts of UN, TR sideline RU Black Sea Initiative agreements have not been published, leaving an incomplete impression of tri-lateral obligations and duties that NATO allies have filled with more "unprovoked Russian agression."
by Cat on Sun Nov 6th, 2022 at 12:27:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Boats bringing ...food...to nl with a waiver

https:/www.dutchnews.nl/news/2022/10/dutch-government-grants-91-waivers-to-russian-sanctions

by Oosterbeek on Sun Nov 6th, 2022 at 05:50:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]
A mix of some news items with very unfounded allegations working for some propaganda outfit. Ever since the MH17 crash in Donbas in July 2014, Rutte has supported every Pentagon and CIA narrative anti-Russia. The Dutch too were consistent with the Tories in Great Britain.

"To hell with your war," the Netherlands shows Biden his place and re-joins Putin | TFI Global |

Moreover, Ministry for Climate and Energy granted 25 exemptions, allowing Dutch entities to continue purchasing energy from former Gazprom enterprises. According to the Ministry, 150 businesses and organisations, including municipalities, schools and water boards, benefit from the waivers.

Netherlands rebukes Biden

The Netherlands is a founding member of the European Union and NATO. In a historical move, it has become the first country to withdraw sanctions against Russia. Additionally, its decision to waive sanctions has both symbolic and direct implications.

Waving off sanctions and helping Russia to evade sanctions hasn't been done so openly by any other western country yet. It proves that the European country values its sovereignty more and is ready to refuse to walkon the path shown by USA.

It is a major blow to Biden's efforts to unite Europe against Russia to fill American coffers and destroy Europe. Europe needs an independent foreign policy and Netherlands has shown how it's done.

Also, this is just the beginning, as the winter approaches, the heat of sanctioning Russia is only going to increase among European countries. The cracks in the EU are only going to widen. This move by the Netherlands will have a domino effect and the meltdown is only going to grow as the winters are now around the corner.



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Sun Nov 6th, 2022 at 06:31:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The Parties will not undertake any attacks against merchant vessels and other civilian vessels and port facilities engaged in this Initiative.

... is this the part that the attack on Russian military vessels in a Russian military port transgressed? Or is it another part? Perhaps one of the unpublished or unwritten parts?

It was the last straw... until it wasn't. The forbearance of the camel is admirable.

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Sun Nov 6th, 2022 at 05:51:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]
port facilities are the site of what "Initiative" protocol?
by Cat on Sun Nov 6th, 2022 at 08:56:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I was just trying to parse what Putin was complaining about, with respect to the attack on his warships in Sevastopol. And what last straw you were talking about.

But that's just grasping at straws on my part. You two are equally inscrutable.

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Mon Nov 7th, 2022 at 10:22:17 AM EST
[ Parent ]
euractiv | UN seeks exports of "stranded" Russian fertilisers [in European ports] ahead of Black Sea grains deadline, 4 Nov "efforts to export stranded Russian fertilisers from European ports"
Western sanctions in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine do not ["]explicitly["] target Russian food and fertilisers but nevertheless have ["]complicated["] shipments because of their impact on finance, logistics[,] and insurance. [UNCTAD Gen-Sec Rebeca] Grynspan conceded that removing the obstacles was proving "difficult".
archived our sanctions don't affect ... 5 June 2022
"We have been CLARIFYING together and ENGAGING  with the EU, with the US[,] with the UK to solve these problems. And I think that we are making progress (but) not all the progress that I would want to see right now," she said. She warned of a crisis of "food availability" next year MY 2022/20223 if farmers did not receive fertilisers before the end of their sowing seasons.
euractiv | Russia seeks sanctions exemptions for state bank in Ukraine grain deal talks, 5 Nov
Russia has not detailed its demands publicly beyond calls to unblock Russian fertiliser stuck in European ports and warehouses and resume exports of ammonia, an important ingredient in fertiliser, through a Russia-Ukraine pipeline.

The four Sources®, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the subject, said Russia was asking Western countries to allow state lender Rosselkhozbank to restore its relations with correspondent banks despite Western sanctions.

UTV Russian blackmail weapon war crime story developing ...
Asked to comment, a spokesperson for the EU's executive Commission said EU sanctions were designed not to target the trade in Russian agricultural and food products and included exemptions where that was the purpose.

"Russia is using food as a weapon of war and this is yet another manipulation of the facts and spreading disinformation," the [EC] spokesperson said, declining to be named. "We urge all parties to renew the agreement."

archived Western P&I clubs and Marty Sall
A senior [US] State Department official told Reuters the United States had taken steps to reassure the private sector that food exports were exempted from its sanctions, including by translating  guidance into multiple languagesand by issuing so-called comfort letters to companies seeking assurance that their business was not in breach of the sanctions.

The official, who discussed the issue on condition of anonymity, said private actors sometimes "engage in de-risking" in response to sanctions[,] and that the United States was willing to address specific issues if the UN raises them....

archived Hag Watch Int'l "in violent agreement"
by Cat on Sun Nov 6th, 2022 at 10:41:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]
War is such a complicated judicial and legal matter nowadays 😣
Battleground officers need a minor in economics or agriculture to target the enemy. Like football, the attacking game is the best defense. Pouring in resources without clear vision of an end game. Will 8 Nov. be a turn-around? Joe looking a defeat in the eye, leaving Zelensky at the mercy of Republicans ... again! MEGA

'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Mon Nov 7th, 2022 at 06:01:00 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Display:

Occasional Series