Russia has highlighted some of the benefits the country stands to gain from the Black Sea ceasefire deal.
Russia also said that countries in Africa and around the globe should expect positive outcomes from the deal, especially in the supply of food.
The U.S. announced on Tuesday that the two warring countries, Russia and Ukraine, have agreed to a ceasefire in the Black Sea.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters that the deal aims to bring Moscow back to predictable grain and fertilizer markets, allowing for profit and ensuring global food security.
Lavrov said this in remarks published late on Tuesday, adding, “We want the grain and fertilizer market to be predictable, so that no one tries to ‘ward us off’ from it.”
Lavrov told the Russian state Channel One television, “Not only because we want … to make a legitimate profit in fair competition, but also because we are concerned about the food security situation in Africa and other countries of the Global South.”
Following the deal, the Ukrainian military said on Wednesday that its air defense units had shot down 56 of 117 drones launched by Russia in an overnight attack.
According to Reuters, there was no immediate comment from Russia, but the Russian Defense Ministry said that its air defense units destroyed nine Ukrainian drones overnight, including two over the waters of the Black Sea.