Renewal of the Ukrainian grain agreement – Moscow – RT Russia and the former Soviet Union
The UN-backed program for Ukraine has been extended, despite complaints from Moscow about restrictions on its own trade
The UN-brokered deal with Turkey to export Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea has been renewed for another three months, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Grushko told reporters on Tuesday. However, Moscow remains unhappy with the failure to secure the lifting of Western restrictions on its own food and fertilizer trade, the official added.
The Black Sea Grain Facility was introduced in August last year to facilitate agricultural exports from Ukraine amid the conflict with Russia. It was originally intended to last 180 days and has since been renewed once.
According to Grushko, Russia has agreed to renew it again, but only for 60 days, as his fellow Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin suggested on Monday.
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Russia agrees to extend grain deal with Ukraine
The deal includes a UN pledge to pressure Western countries to lift some of the economic sanctions against Russia. Moscow said the restrictions have effectively prevented Russian grain producers from using shipping merchants to sell goods on the world market.
Russia has also argued that with Ukraine’s trade facilitation touted as a way to deal with soaring global food prices, it would be reasonable to expect these restrictions to be removed.
“We will vigorously demand that all promises and commitments given to Russia regarding the implementation of this second path, i.e. the lifting of all direct and indirect sanctions on Russian agricultural exports to world markets, be held”, Grushko said.
Russia has long criticized the way the grain deal has been implemented, arguing that it has largely failed to benefit the most vulnerable nations, with most Ukrainian products being used to feed livestock in Europe. Meanwhile, low-income countries in Africa and Asia are barred from importing Russian grain and fertilizer due to Western sanctions, Moscow said.
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