UK Sends it’s Fighter Jets to Escort Ukraine’s Grain Export Convoys

According to reports, the United Kingdom has deployed its fighter jets to escort cargo ships transporting Ukraine’s grain exports across the Black Sea as part of a grain export agreement supported by the United Nations.

The United Kingdom government had said in a well publicized press release that “We will use our intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance to monitor Russian activity in the Black Sea, call out Russia if we see warning signs that they are preparing attacks on civilian shipping or infrastructure,” 

The statement  further clarifies that  “as part of these surveillance operations, RAF aircraft are conducting flights over the area to deter Russia from carrying out illegal strikes against civilian vessels transporting grain,” 

The Russian defense ministry has issued an advisory stating that any vessels entering Ukrainian ports are regarded as potential carriers of weapons supplies for the Ukrainian armed forces.

Russia withdrew from the July 2023 grain exportation agreement after Western nations objected to an agreement provision allowing Russia to export fertilizer and agricultural products. It should be emphasized that western sanctions do not inherently target Russian exports in the same way that Russia targets Ukrainian exports. Nevertheless, Russia has argued that restrictions imposed on its banking and logistic sectors severely restrict their ability to export their own grains and fertilizer to the rest of the world.

During a meeting with the Turkish president, the Russian president conveyed his nation’s willingness to return to the brain exportation agreement if the west agreed to lift restrictions on the Russian grain and financial sectors. In response to the Russian request, the Turkish president stated he would convey the message to the United Nations in an effort to resolve the situation.

In the near future, it is also rumored that Russia’s largest agricultural lender, Rosselkhoz bank, will be granted access to the SWIFT international banking system. Last year, all of Russia’s banks and financial institutions were excluded from the swift international transaction system due to sanctions imposed by western nations in response to Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine.