South Africa: BRICS Summit, Vladimir Putin tackles the West and the UN over the grain agreement

On Tuesday August 22, the 15th BRICS Summit opened in Johannesburg, South Africa. This high-level meeting was one of the most eagerly awaited of 2023. The summit is being held against a backdrop marked by the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Russian President Vladimir Putin did not make the trip to South Africa.

However, at the opening of the summit, Vladimir Putin was virtually present via video. Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered his customary firm speech. He spoke about the grain agreement and the role played by Western countries and the UN in implementing it. According to the Russian President, the West and the United Nations are not playing fair.

According to Vladimir Putin’s argument, it is the West, through its arbitrary sanctions against Russia, that is responsible for the global grain crisis.  “This was clearly demonstrated in the implementation of the so-called grain agreement, concluded with the participation of the UN Secretariat”, said Vladimir Putin, adding that the West had failed to respect several points of the grain agreement.

In conclusion, the Russian President set one condition. “We are ready to come back, but we will only come back if all the obligations towards the Russian side are effectively fulfilled”.

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