The United States is working to address Russian complaints that sanctions are hindering its food and fertilizer shipments, a senior U.S. official said on September 9.
James O'Brien, head of the State Department's Office of Sanctions Coordination, told reporters at the United Nations that the United States is working with the UN to address the complaints even though there has been no disruption to Moscow's exports of the commodities.
"We're seeing no disruption in Russia's ability to send food to market," O’Brien said. "The fertilizer is still reaching markets at the same rate that it always has."
The United States has stressed that Russian food and fertilizer is not subject to sanctions imposed over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
But Russia says logistical sanctions and restrictions on Russian ships entering Western ports or securing insurance have restricted Russia's access to world markets.
SEE ALSO: First UN Aid Ship With Ukrainian Grain Reaches EthiopiaO'Brien called the complaints "just an example of misinformation" but said the United States would still do everything it can to address specific complaints.
"Russia and the UN are just now engaged on some specific requests that it has under the UN agreement, and I think we'll see progress in that over the next few weeks," he said.
The agreement reached on July 22 by the United Nations, Turkey, Ukraine, and Russia restarted Ukraine's grain and fertilizer exports from Black Sea ports and facilitated Russian commodity shipments.
O'Brien said the United Nations had brokered a way for the United States to speak with some of the Russian companies about concerns over sanctions implications.
SEE ALSO: U.S. To Purchase Ukrainian Grain For UN Food Program Amid Global Food Crisis"We will do what's needed to make clear to every commercial player that they are allowed to buy Russian food and fertilizer," he told reporters.
Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized the grain shipping agreement on September 7, saying Ukraine was exporting food and fertilizer to the European Union and Turkey rather than to poor countries.
Putin suggested Moscow will "have to think about changing routes" for Ukrainian grain shipments, raising doubt about the fate of a six-week-old deal.