Trudeau says he has no faith Russia will uphold deal to export Ukrainian grain

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he has no confidence in Russia to uphold its end of a deal to reopen Ukrainian Black Sea ports for grain exports.

Russia and Ukraine signed separate agreements Friday with Turkey and the United Nations clearing the way for exporting millions of tonnes of desperately needed Ukrainian grain — as well as Russian grain and fertilizer — ending a wartime standoff that had threatened food security around the globe.

When asked if he trusted Russia to uphold its end of the deal, Trudeau said he had next to no faith in Moscow.

"Canada's confidence in Russia's reliability is pretty much nil, they have demonstrated nothing but poor faith," Trudeau told reporters during a media availability on Friday.

Russia and Ukraine, both among the world's biggest exporters of food, sent their defence and infrastructure ministers respectively to Istanbul to take part in a signing ceremony, the two sides said.

The blockade by Russia's Black Sea fleet has worsened global supply chain disruptions and, along with Western sanctions imposed on Moscow, stoked high inflation in food and energy prices since Russian forces swept into Ukraine on Feb. 24.

Trudeau pointed the finger squarely at Russia for creating both crises by invading Ukraine.

"They have precipitated a global energy crisis, a global food crisis with their illegal invasion of Ukraine, and the rest of us have been working very, very hard to try and mitigate those issues around the world," he said.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov signed separate deals with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar. The ceremony was witnessed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

"Today, there is a beacon on the Black Sea," Guterres said. "A beacon of hope, a beacon of possibility, a beacon of relief in a world that needs it more than ever."

"You have overcome obstacles and put aside differences to pave the way for an initiative that will serve the common interests of all," he said, addressing the Russian and Ukrainian representatives.

Trudeau said he had spoken with Guterres in recent weeks and was "optimistic" about the deal, but also said he wanted to ensure Ukraine's sovereignty and security aren't put at risk.

"That's what we'll be watching very, very closely, to make sure this does not put Ukraine further at risk," he said.