The United States is condemning Russia's decision to suspend its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative after Russia accused Ukraine of a drone strike against Russia’s Black Sea Fleet off the Crimean Peninsula.

Ukraine has denied the attack, saying that Russia mishandled its own weapons. However, Moscow announced it was retaliating by halting its participation in a U.N. and Turkey-brokered deal to allow safe passage of ships carrying grain from Ukraine.

In Washington, State Department Spokesman Ned Price said Russia's decision "is having immediate harmful impacts on global food security."

"Russia is again weaponizing food in the war that it started," Price said. "The most effective step to address the ongoing food security crisis would be for Russia to immediately return to the arrangement, and to end its war against Ukraine," he said.

On Monday, Ukraine said a dozen ships had sailed despite initially reporting that more than 200 vessels, many loaded and ready to travel, were stuck after Russia's weekend announcement. Such exports are crucial: Ukraine and Russia are key global suppliers of wheat, barley, sunflower oil and other food to countries in Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia where many are already struggling with hunger.

Brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, it has allowed more than 9 million tons of grain in 397 ships to safely leave Ukrainian ports. The grain agreement has brought down global food prices about 15% from their peak in March, according to the U.N., and the U.N. secretary-general had urged Russia and Ukraine to renew the deal when it expires Nov. 19.

Russia has requested a meeting Monday of the U.N. Security Council to discuss the issue, while offering to supply up to 500,000 tons of grain “to the poorest countries free of charge in the next four months.”

In other matters, the State Department praised Brazil for Sunday's presidential election that saw a very tight victory to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, giving the leftist former president another shot at power in a rejection of incumbent Jair Bolsonaro’s far-right politics.

"The hallmark of every democracy is acceptance of the will of the people, as expressed as expressed through elections, followed by a peaceful transfer of power," Price said."That's what the world will expect and what we anticipate they will see."

Price also expressed condolences on the part of the U.S. to South Korea in the aftermath of a Halloween crowd surge in Seoul that left more than 150 people dead. And he expressed condolences to India following a deadly pedestrian bridge collapse that killed at least 134 people there.

Police have arrested nine people as they investigate the collapse of the suspension bridge, which plunged hundreds of people into the river below. It is in one of the country’s worst accidents in years, officials said.

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