Ukraine: Ukraine has stated that Russia’s proposal to extend the wartime grain export deal for 60 days goes against the agreement between the two countries.
Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Mr. Oleksandr Kubrakov commented that a 60-day extension contradicts the documents signed by guarantors Turkey and the UN but did not reject the proposal.
“The grain agreement involves at least 120 days of extension. Therefore, Russia’s position to extend the deal only for 60 days contradicts the document signed by Turkey and the UN,” Mr. Kubrakov posted on Twitter.
“We’re waiting for the official position of the UN and Turkey as the guarantors of the initiative,” the Minister added.
A Russian delegation recently announced that Moscow was ready to extend the Ukraine grain export deal following talks with the United Nations, but only for a further 60 days.
Ms. Rebeca Grynspan, secretary-general of the UN Conference on Trade and Development, and Mr. Martin Griffiths, the head of the UN humanitarian agency, hosted a team led by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Sergey Vershinin at UN offices in Geneva, Switzerland.
The United Nations remarked in a statement that it “notes” the Russian decision about the extension and reaffirmed its support for the deal struck in July as “part of the global response to the most severe cost-of-living crisis in a generation.”
The UN and Turkey mediated a deal between the two countries in July 2022 that allows Ukraine to ship food and fertiliser from three of its Black Sea ports.
The 120-day agreement, which has contributed significantly to tackling rising global food prices, was renewed in November 2022. That extension expires soon, and another 120-day extension was being discussed.
