Russian Embassy Not Communicating With Canada on Sanctioned Siemens Turbines - Ambassador

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The Russian embassy is not communicating with the government of Canada on the issue of Siemens turbines that were sanctioned by Ottawa in response to Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine, Russian Ambassador Oleg Stepanov told Sputnik.

"We do not have official contacts with Canada on this subject. From the point of view of the embassy, this is a problem in the first place between Canada and Germany so it needs to be sorted out by the Germans and Canadians," Stepanov said on Friday.

Earlier in June, Canada's Natural Resources Ministry confirmed to Sputnik that the Canadian and German governments were working to solve a problem on the Siemens turbines for Russia's Nord Stream 1 pipeline. The turbines were sent to Canada for maintenance and cannot be sent back to Germany because of the sanctions Ottawa imposed on them.

When asked to comment on the alleged Russian attacks on grain storage facilities near Mykolaiv in Ukraine owned by Viterra Canada, Stepanov called such claims made by Canada's International Development Minister Harjit Sajjan an "inferior propaganda."

"They accuse Russia of creating a food crisis and preventing grain exports from Ukraine, but they know very well that Ukraine is responsible for one percent of the grain market, that Ukraine itself mined its port areas, and that Kiev itself, in particular, refuses to let ships out and clear the fairway," Stepanov said.

Russia offers safe sea corridors and guarantees safe passage for any vessel exporting grains from Ukraine as well as for their escorts, Stepanov added.