Talks on Black Sea grain export deal set for Wednesday – Ukrainian source

Talks on a U.N-brokered deal that allows the safe Black Sea export of Ukrainian grain are scheduled for Wednesday, with all sides in the negotiations involved, a senior Ukrainian source said on Tuesday.

“Talks are scheduled for tomorrow. All parties… hopefully there will be results,” the source, who declined to be named told.

The deal, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey last July, allows grain trapped by Russia’s invasion to be safely exported from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports.

Russia has signalled it will not allow the deal agreed last July to continue beyond May 18 because a list of demands to facilitate its own grain and fertiliser exports has not been met.

Andrey Ledenev, a minister-counsellor at the Russian Embassy in the United States, said in a post published on the embassy’s Telegram messaging app that there had been no progress in removing obstacles to Russian grain and fertiliser exports.

Ledenev reiterated accusations that the deadlock is a result of the “sanction strategy” of the United States and its western allies against Moscow, which include restrictions on payments, logistics and insurance industries.

Tags: Russia, Turkey, export, grain, Black Sea, deal, United Nations, Black Sea ports, talks, negotiations, Ukraine