The Razoni boat, which carries the first shipment of Ukrainian grain since the agreement, is stuck off the Turkish coast.
We have known since Sunday: the Razoni ship, carrying the first shipment of cereals exported by Ukraine since the Russian invasion of February 24, will not dock in Lebanon as planned. But where is the Razoni going?
The Razoni was to be the symbol of the resumption of grain exports from the breadbasket of the world as Russia is in full invasion of the country. But if its colleague, the Turkish freighter Polarnet arrived as planned in Turkey, the Razoni remains immobile. Successfully inspected in Istanbul last Wednesday, she is still at a standstill off the Turkish coast for some unknown reason.
Delivery delay (due to war)
The Ukrainian embassy in Lebanon, questioned on Saturday, limited itself to repeating: “We would like to inform you that the scheduled arrival of the Razoni ship tomorrow has been postponed. “Without further details. His arrival which was scheduled, according to the Ukrainian embassy in Lebanon, Sunday at 10 a.m. (9 a.m. French time) at the port of Tripoli, in northern Lebanon.
According to our colleagues from France Info, the Ukrainian embassy in Lebanon has the beginning of an explanation. According to her, “the end buyer in Lebanon refused to accept the shipment due to the delay in the delivery terms [five months]”. The Ukrainian company that ships the cereals is therefore looking for a new buyer.
According to an official source close to the matter, the ship will probably not dock in Lebanon if it manages to sell its cargo to a merchant in another country. “The ship will only go to Lebanon in one case: if a merchant buys its cargo,” the source said on condition of anonymity.
The agreements signed by Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul on July 22 aim to make possible the export of Ukrainian cereals blocked by the war and those of Russian agricultural products despite Western sanctions, to alleviate the world food crisis and rising prices in some of the poorest countries. On Friday, three new shipments of corn left Ukraine in a convoy, the Turkish Defense Ministry said. The three buildings will serve Ireland, England and Turkey, according to the same source.
