Because last week the United Nations and the Russian fertilizer producer Uralchem-Uralkali agreed that the company and the Russian businessman would not profit from it, the shipment is now allowed to be shipped.
A similar agreement was also made with Belgium and Estonia where ships carrying Russian fertilizer shipments were also detained. According to the Russian company, 262,000 tons of fertilizer destined for African countries is being held in European ports.
The European Union has imposed a series of sanctions since Russia started a war against Ukraine on February 24. These sanctions target, among others, people within President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle by freezing their assets and prohibiting them from traveling to or from the EU.
Grain, food, and fertilizer are generally exempt from international sanctions against Russia. However, because the shipments were owned by an individual Russian listed on a sanctions list, those shipments were still held in several EU countries. The identity of the Russian businessman has not been disclosed.
According to UN officials, the first shipment of fertilizers is expected to go to Malawi within the coming week.