moscow sees no reason to extend the Black Sea grain deal

Dmitry Peskov, Press Secretary of the Russian president, has said in an interview with Izvestia that the Grain Initiative has no future, and Moscow sees no reason to continue it (the Black Sea Grain Initiative is an agreement brokered by the UN with Russia and Türkiye launched on 22 July 2022 to enable ships to transport grain from Ukraine – ed.)  “It is hardly possible to predict any final decision here, we can only state that if we judge de facto from what we have [at the moment – ed.], then this agreement has no future.”

According to Peskov, the agreement provides for “cooperation between contracting states or associations.” “And so part of this job was done, and the second part, which concerned the Russian Federation, was never done,” he said.

“Therefore, if we state what is apparent now, then, of course, there are no prospects, there are no grounds to prolong it. Because so far what was promised to us has not been done,” Peskov said.

Earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Western countries of failing to comply with the Russian demands concerning the Black Sea Grain Initiative and said that Moscow was considering a withdrawal from the agreement.

In mid-May, despite Russia’s threats to withdraw from the agreement, the Black Sea Grain Initiative was extended for another two months.

Later, it was revealed that Kyiv could allow the transit of Russian ammonia through Ukrainian territory if it received guarantees from Russia and the UN that the Black Sea Grain Initiative would work without any obstructions.

Tags: Black Sea grain corridor, Russia