Russia has agreed to renew for only 60 days the agreement for the export of Ukrainian cereals through the Black Sea created with the mediation of Turkey and the United Nations. The initial agreement was extended for 120 days in November and expires on March 18.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin said at Monday's meeting at the UN headquarters in Geneva that "we do not object to extending the initiative, but only for 60 days", and argued that, although the agreement has allowed since August 2022 stable export of Ukrainian grain, there are still restrictions for Russia.
"Our position going forward will be determined by tangible progress in the normalization of our agricultural exports," he added, since "the exemptions to sanctions for food and fertilizers - Russians - announced by Washington, Brussels and London do not apply." Moscow denounces that it can only export a small amount of fertilizer and no grain.
"The agreement must be extended, it must be indefinite, because Ukraine is the guarantor of food security for 400 million people in the world," said Ukrainian presidential adviser Saria Zarivna, according to the Ukrinform agency. The adviser stressed that Moscow maintains an obstructionist stance "both with the aim of eliminating a competitor on the world market and weakening the Ukrainian economy, and with the aim of creating a hybrid information warfare."
Ukraine and Russia are major suppliers of wheat, rye, sunflower oil and other products to Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia, while Russia is the largest exporter of fertilizers. Moscow accuses Kyiv of exporting grain only to rich countries.
