Russian President on Friday (9 September) in the operational meeting with members of the Russian Security Council said that Russia could not influence the direction of Ukrainian grain delivery but would like to increase it specifically to the poorest countries.
"Only two [grain ships were delivered] to the poorest countries under UN food programs, to Yemen and Djibouti. This is 60 thousand tons and only 3 per cent. I would ask the Foreign Ministry to take this into account in contact with our partners, including the UN. Of course, we cannot influence this process, how much food goes and where it goes, but on the whole, we still think it is right to increase deliveries specifically to the poorest countries".
Vladimir Putin on Wednesday (7 September) said that he would consult with the Turkish President over a possible change in the export routes of Ukrainian grain, after claiming that grain which had not passed through Turkey was widely diverted to European countries rather than the poorest countries in need, as it was agreed in the deal. This meeting is expected the next week in Samarkand
