Since Russia and Ukraine under the auspices of the UN and the mediation of Turkey signed the Black Sea grain initiative , Ukraine has exported millions of tons of corn, wheat, sunflower, barley, rapeseed and soy.

The Russian President and Russian officials have complained that there are problems with the agreement, raising fears that Moscow will withdraw from it if its demands are not met.

Today, Russia sent a letter to the UN secretary-general telling him to officially withdraw from the agreement on the export of Ukrainian grain, as quoted by "Reuters".

Russia announced the suspension of its participation in the agreement on the export of grain from Ukrainian ports Sponsored by the United Nations, after the targeting of the Russian fleet in the Middle Sea on the Crimean Peninsula.

TASS quoted the Russian Defense Ministry as saying that Russia has suspended participation in the Ukrainian grain export agreement.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has sought to limit the countries that can receive grain shipments under this agreement, sponsored by Turkey and the United Nations, and allowed the resumption of Ukraine's grain exports, which had been suspended since the outbreak of war last February.

Earlier on Friday, Russia said that the poorest countries receive only three percent of food exports made under a U. N.-brokered agreement to transport grain from Ukrainian ports, and that half of the shipments go to Western countries.

"It turned out that the geographical location of the recipient countries of these shipments is completely inconsistent with the previously declared humanitarian goals,"Moscow said in a statement.

"The most needy countries, such as Somalia, Ethiopia, Yemen, Sudan and Afghanistan, received only three percent of the food, mostly from the World Food Program,"she added.

Western officials familiar with the grain talks said any supplies to world markets from Ukraine, one of the world's largest grain exporters, would ease the food crisis.