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原文標題：US Quietly Urges Russia Fertilizer Deals to Unlock Grain Trade

原文連結：https://tinyurl.com/49h76exn

發布時間：2022年6月14日 上午12:18 [GMT+8]

記者署名：Elizabeth Elkin, Daniel Flatley, and Jennifer Jacobs

原文內容：(翻譯為個人濃縮簡化而來，與原意會有些許差異，僅供參考)

The US government is quietly encouraging agricultural and shipping companies
to buy and carry more Russian fertilizer, according to people familiar with
the efforts, as sanctions fears have led to a sharp drop in supplies, fueling
spiraling global food costs.



The effort is part of complex and difficult negotiations underway involving
the United Nations to boost deliveries of fertilizer, grain and other farm
products from Russia and Ukraine that have been disrupted by President
Vladimir Putin’s invasion of his southern neighbor.

烏俄戰爭影響烏俄兩國肥料及農產品的運輸，為了解決這個問題，聯合國進行一連串複雜
又困難的協商，才達到這項成果。

US and European officials have accused the Kremlin of using food as a weapon,
preventing Ukraine from exporting. Russia denies that even as it has attacked
key ports, blaming the shipment disruptions on sanctions imposed by the US
and its allies over the invasion.

美國及歐洲官員指控克里姆林宮阻擋烏克蘭糧食出口，以糧食危機做為威脅手段。俄羅斯
否認，並指出美國與其盟友對俄羅斯的制裁造成糧食運輸受到干擾。

The EU and the US have built exemptions into their restrictions on doing
business with Russia to allow trade in fertilizer, of which Moscow is a key
global supplier. But many shippers, banks and insurers have been staying away
from the trade out of fear they could inadvertently fall afoul of the rules.
Russian fertilizer exports are down 24% this year. US officials, surprised by
the extent of the caution, are in the seemingly paradoxical position of
looking for ways to boost them.



The US push underlines the challenge facing Washington and its allies as they
seek to increase pressure on Putin over his invasion but also limit the
collateral damage to a global economy which is heavily dependent on commodity
supplies from Russia ranging from natural gas and oil to fertilizer and
grains. Prices for all of those have spiked further since the war started in
February, a point Putin regularly makes in his public efforts to undermine
support for sanctions.



Washington sent a representative to UN-led talks in Moscow earlier this month
on the supply issues, according to people familiar with the situation who
spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss matters that aren’t public.
Inadequate fertilizer deliveries this year could also affect next year’s
crops.

根據匿名人士提供的非公開消息，華府在本月(6月)稍早派員到莫斯科參加聯合國主辦有關
供應議題的說明會，今年肥料運送不利可能影響今年甚至明年的糧食收成。

The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

白宮仍未對此作出回應。

The Kremlin has called on the US provide assurances to buyers and shippers of
its fertilizer and grain that they aren’t subject to sanctions, suggesting it
’s a condition of any steps to unblock shipments of Ukrainian farm products
now.

克里姆林宮向美國喊話，希望美國保證向俄羅斯購買肥料及糧食的買家及運送人不會受
到制裁，並建議現在應該盡一切手段開放烏克蘭農產品的運輸。

“For Russia, it’s really important that U.S. authorities send a clear
signal that these deals are permitted and in the interest of global food
security and they shouldn’t refuse to carry them out,” said Ivan Timofeev,
spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss matters that aren’t public.
Inadequate fertilizer deliveries this year could also affect next year’s
crops.

根據匿名人士提供的非公開消息，華府在本月(6月)稍早派員到莫斯科參加聯合國主辦有關
供應議題的說明會，今年肥料運送不利可能影響今年甚至明年的糧食收成。

The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

白宮仍未對此作出回應。

The Kremlin has called on the US provide assurances to buyers and shippers of
its fertilizer and grain that they aren’t subject to sanctions, suggesting it
’s a condition of any steps to unblock shipments of Ukrainian farm products
now.

克里姆林宮向美國喊話，希望美國保證向俄羅斯購買肥料及糧食的買家及運送人不會受
到制裁，並建議現在應該盡一切手段開放烏克蘭農產品的運輸。

“For Russia, it’s really important that U.S. authorities send a clear
signal that these deals are permitted and in the interest of global food
security and they shouldn’t refuse to carry them out,” said Ivan Timofeev,
a sanctions specialist at the Kremlin-founded Russian International Affairs
Council.

克里姆林宮的俄羅斯國際事務委員會其中一位制裁專家Ivan Timofeev指出，「對俄羅斯
來說，美國當局是否釋出一個明確的訊號非常重要，這類物資的交易應准許進行，並對全球
糧食安全有
利，且不應拒絕運送這類物資。」

While Russia claims that sanctions fears are also holding back its grain
exports, total shipments this season are down only 14%, and wheat exports
doubled in May, according to the country’s Grain Union.

俄羅斯主張對制裁的捆劇也使得俄羅斯糧食出口漸少，根據俄羅斯糧食公會資料，本季糧
食總運量僅降14%，小麥出口在五月翻倍。

By contrast, more than 25 million tons of grain, sunflower oil and other
commodities are stuck in Ukraine because of security fears in the Black Sea
ports and shipping lanes traditionally used to carry them to global markets.
Officials warn the situation will become more dire with the new harvest
beginning.



Talks on releasing those shipments have gone slowly, with Putin seeking to
pin the blame on Ukraine for not wanting to remove mines from ports placed to
defend them from possible attacks by Russian forces. Kyiv has said it’s not
convinced by Moscow’s assurances that it won’t strike, noting that Russia
also insisted before the war that it wouldn’t invade.



De-Mining Ukraine’s Ports May Take Months, UN Agency Says

聯合國官員指出，烏克蘭港口除雷要花上好幾個月。

Russia won the support of Turkey in its calls for sanctions relief last week,
but Ankara’s efforts to mediate a solution to restart shipments so far haven
’t yielded results.

俄羅斯呼籲停止制裁在上週獲得土耳其的支持，但土耳其付出的努力尚未調解出重啟運輸
的成果。

Shipping companies remain extremely wary of the Black Sea given sanctions and
security fears, and industry officials say a more concerted international
push will be needed to reassure them. Efforts to ship Ukrainian produce by
rail to Europe have yield limited results amid differing track gauges and
other logistical issues.



“We’re working together with our partners to get about half of what Ukraine
exports out each month,” but that will take some time, James O’Brien, head
of the Office of Sanctions Coordination at the State Department, told an
online briefing June 9. “So we’re looking at a substantial shortfall.”



心得/評論：

美國為了通膨焦頭爛額，
失智老人一點用都沒有，
到頭來還是要想辦法解決烏俄問題或者開放俄羅斯便宜產品。

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