No grounds to extend grain deal – Kremlin
Russia sees no prerequisites to prolong the deal that allows Ukrainian grain to be exported via the Black Sea, Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov has said. The agreement is due to expire next month.
“There are no grounds [to extend the deal] because it hasn’t been fulfilled,” Peskov told journalists on Wednesday.
The UN- and Türkiye-mediated agreement was signed in July 2022, and provided for the safe shipment of Ukrainian grain through Black Sea corridors. In exchange, the West was obliged to remove obstacles to exports of Russian food products and fertilizers imposed over the conflict between Moscow and Kiev.
The deal initially lasted 120 days, although Russia agreed to an extension on several occasions despite repeatedly warning that the US and EU had not kept their promises.
“We’ve already heard the statement by the UN representatives, who had to acknowledge that, unfortunately, they can’t properly influence the countries of the collective West in order for them to fulfill the Russian part of the agreement,” Peskov stated.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin claimed on Tuesday that there could be further consultation with the UN in an attempt to save the deal. However, the diplomat stressed that Russia was “gearing up towards July 18 becoming the time when the agreements that aren’t being fulfilled end.”
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin also noted that Moscow was considering exiting the deal. According to the leader, some 30 million tons of grain have been transported from Ukrainian ports under the agreement, while nothing has been done to facilitate Russian food and fertilizer exports.
