Russia halts wartime deal allowing Ukraine to ship grain

Russia complained that restrictions on shipping and insurance have hampered its exports of food and fertilizer

Russia halted an unprecedented wartime deal on Monday that allows grain to flow from Ukraine to countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia where hunger is a growing threat and high food prices have pushed more people into poverty.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced Russia would suspend the Black Sea Grain Initiative until its demands to get its own agricultural shipments to the world are met-even though the country has been shipping record amounts of wheat and its fertilizers also have been flowing.

"When the part of the Black Sea deal related to Russia is implemented, Russia will immediately return to the implementation of the deal," Peskov said. Russia has complained that restrictions on shipping and insurance have hampered its exports of food and fertilizer - also critical to the global food chain.

It's the end of a breakthrough accord that the United Nations and Turkey brokered last summer to allow food to leave the Black Sea region after Russia invaded its neighbour nearly a year and a half ago. The deal provided assurances that ships won't be attacked entering and leaving Ukrainian ports.

A separate agreement facilitated the movement of Russian food and fertilizer amid Western sanctions.