Russia did not decide whether to extend the grain export agreement
Malta-flagged bulk carrier Zante, en route to Belgium, is transiting the Bosphorus carrying 47,270 metric tons of rapeseed oil from Ukraine after being held up at the entrance to the Bosphorus due to Russia’s withdrawal from the agreement of Black Sea grain on November 2, 2022 in Istanbul. Turkey
Chris McGrath | Getty Images
The Kremlin said it has not yet decided whether to extend a grain export deal with Ukraine, although it decided on Wednesday to resume its participation in the “Black Sea Grain Initiative.”
The current deal will expire on November 19 unless both Russia and Ukraine decide to renew the deal, which has allowed more than 9 million tonnes of grain and food to be exported from the war-torn country. The agreement was negotiated by the UN and Turkey and is overseen by their officials, as well as those of Russia and Ukraine.
Russia had suspended its participation in the deal last Saturday, accusing Ukraine of using the established humanitarian corridor for military purposes, but rejoined on Wednesday, saying it had received assurances from Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov waits to watch the Victory Day military parade in Red Square in central Moscow on May 9, 2022.
Kirill Kudryavtsev | Afp | Getty Images
Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday that Moscow’s renewed participation in the deal did not necessarily mean it would be renewed.
“Of course, we still have to discuss the issue of the extension officially, the deadline is not over yet, it is still working… but on the 19th, before making the decision to continue, it will be necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of the implementation of the agreement. And only then can a decision be made.”
Peskov said Turkey had received assurances from Moscow that the corridor would not be used for military purposes, a charge Ukraine denies in any case, and praised Ankara’s work to maintain the agreement, noting that “the participation of Turkey in this is the main factor of confidence.
—Holly Elliott
A possible arms deal between North Korea and Russia raises concerns
South Korea has said it is concerned about evidence of an arms deal between North Korea and Russia, after the White House accused the Pyongyang regime of covertly sending artillery shells to Russia.
Seoul’s foreign ministry told NBC on Thursday that the government is “concerned by circumstantial evidence pointing to arms dealing between NK and Russia.” The ministry said it was monitoring the situation very closely and was “maintaining close communication with our allies, including the US.”
“All arms trade with NK is prohibited under UNSC Resolutions No. 1718,” the ministry added.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (R) attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) in Vladivostok, Russia on April 25, 2019.
Kremlin | Brochure | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
On Wednesday, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the White House believes North Korea is covertly supplying a “significant number” of artillery shells to Russia for use in Ukraine, NBC News reported.
“We’re going to monitor to see if the shipments are coming in,” Kirby said. “It is not an insignificant number of shells, but we do not believe that they are in such a quantity that they change the momentum of the war,” he added.
A police expert holds a fragment of a drone with a handwritten inscription reading “For Belgorod. For Luch”, after a drone attack in Kyiv on October 17, 2022.
Sergei Supinsky | Afp | Getty Images
Hampered by international sanctions, Russia appears to be increasingly dependent on countries such as Iran and North Korea for weapons, such as explosive-laden Iranian drones, to continue its war against Ukraine. North Korea and Iran deny making any arms deal with Russia.
—Holly Elliott
Russia summons British ambassador over drone attack in Crimea
Russia summoned the British ambassador on Thursday over Moscow’s claim that British naval personnel were involved in a Ukrainian drone attack on Russia’s Black Sea fleet in Crimea.
Ambassador Deborah Bronnert arrived at the Foreign Office shortly after 10:30 a.m. local time (0730 GMT) as a small crowd chanted anti-British slogans and held up placards reading “UK is a terrorist state.”
Bronnert was inside the ministry for about 30 minutes, a Reuters reporter at the scene said. There was no immediate statement from either Russia or Britain on the details of what was discussed.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (C) and British Ambassador to Russia Deborah Jane Bronnert (L) at the Moscow Kremlin on February 5, 2020.
Alexei Nikolsky | Afp | Getty Images
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Wednesday that the ambassador was to be summoned over Saturday’s drone strike in Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
Britain says the claims are false. Following the drone strike, Russia temporarily suspended participation in a UN-brokered Black Sea Grain deal.
Russia views Britain as a particularly nefarious Western power that President Vladimir Putin says is plotting to destroy Russia and cut off its vast natural resources.
After Russia invaded Ukraine, Britain, along with the United States and the European Union, imposed some of the most severe sanctions in history and supplied weapons to help Ukraine.
Russia’s defense ministry said British naval personnel blew up the Nord Stream pipelines, a claim London said was false and designed to distract from Russian military failures in Ukraine.
— Reuters
Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant running on diesel generators, again
This photo taken on September 11, 2022 shows a security person in front of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Enerhodar, Zaporizhzhia, amid Ukraine’s war.
Stringer | Afp | Getty Images
The Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine is back on with diesel generators after being disconnected from Ukraine’s power grid following Russian bombing, the nuclear power company said on Thursday. ‘Ukraine.
In a Telegram post, Energoatom said shelling by Russian forces on Wednesday had damaged the last two high-voltage lines connecting the plant to the Ukrainian grid and that Russia wanted to connect the plant to the Russian grid.
“At 11:04 p.m [Wednesday], the power plant went into full shutdown mode. All 20 diesel generators started operating,” Energoatom said. Although the plant’s six reactors are shut down, power is still needed for cooling and safety operations.
Energoatom said it had 15 days of fuel to run the diesel generators while the plant is in shutdown mode.
“The countdown has begun. Due to the occupation of the plant and the interference of Rosatom [Russia’s state nuclear energy company] representatives in its operation, the opportunities of the Ukrainian side to keep the ZNPP in safe mode are significantly limited,” he said.
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was seized by Russian forces earlier this year and has been a pawn in the war, with both sides accusing each other of bombing and endangering the plant, which is the largest nuclear power plant in ‘Europe. International atomic energy experts have warned that the potential for disaster is high given the active hostilities around and near the plant.
—Holly Elliott
Ukraine’s first lady urges the West to provide more weapons before winter
First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska during the opening night of Web Summit 2022 in Lisbon, Portugal on November 1, 2022.
Rita Franca | Nurfoto | Getty Images
Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska on Wednesday called on Western leaders to provide more military support as the country continues to defend itself against Russian attack.
Zelenska urged the international community not to be war-weary, saying allied countries must fight the aggressor together.
“I understand that these are outside the duties of first ladies, but we are already outside normal protocols because of the war,” Zelenska told CNBC’s Karen Tso, according to a translation.
“Ukraine needs more weapons, more military assistance,” he said, specifically asking for air defense missiles.
—Karen Gilchrist
Russia’s economic decline intensifies in September
Wholesale food market in Moscow.
Alliance of the image | Alliance of the image | Getty Images
Russia’s monthly economic downturn continued in September with gross domestic product down 5% year-on-year, according to the latest data from Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development, reported by the state-run Interfax news agency.
The decline in economic output in September followed a 4% year-on-year decline in August and a 4.3% decline in July.
According to the ministry, the decline in Russia’s GDP in the third quarter of 2022 amounted to 4.4% in annual terms, after a decline of 4.1% in the second quarter and growth of 3.5% in first term.
Russia has been laboring under the weight of international sanctions on key sectors, companies and individuals for months after the invasion of Ukraine, although it was subject to other economic sanctions before the war for other reasons, including alleged interference US elections, cyber attacks and its annexation. of Crimea in 2014.
Russian consumers face significant living costs as inflation remains high at 12.9% in October, although it has been gradually declining (inflation stood at 14 .3% in August) after the central bank raised interest rates to deal with rising prices.
Russia has insisted that its economy is able to navigate the challenges posed by sanctions and, as a major exporter of oil and gas, has been able to maintain revenue streams from exports of these commodities to economic partners in Asia, especially India and China.
Still, Western agencies such as the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the IMF and the World Bank expect Russia’s economic decline to be significant this year. Between the two, they have forecast that Russia’s GDP could fall by at least 5.5% at best to almost 9% in the…