In Kyiv criticized the extension of the grain deal for 60 days

The extension of the grain deal for 60 days instead of 120 is contrary to the agreement, Kyiv expects the position of the UN and Turkey, said Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine Oleksandr Kubrakov on Twitter.

“The agreement on the Black Sea Grain Initiative provides for an extension of at least 120 days, therefore, Russia’s position on its extension for only 60 days contradicts the document signed by Turkey and the UN. We are waiting for the official position of the UN and Turkey as guarantors of the initiative,” he wrote.

On March 13, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin announced that Russia doesn’t mind against the extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, but only for 60 days. The second 120-day deal expires on March 18. According to the diplomat, consultations in Geneva on the grain deal were “difficult”, Moscow will rely on the effectiveness of the implementation of the agreement on the export of its agricultural products when deciding on a new extension.

The grain deal was concluded on July 22, 2022 by representatives of Turkey and the UN, on the one hand, and representatives of Russia and Ukraine, on the other. Separate agreements were concluded with Moscow and Kiev: the first was for the export of Ukrainian grain from three ports, including Odessa, Yuzhny and Chernomorsk, and the second was for assistance in the export of Russian grain and fertilizers. Moscow has repeatedly noted that the second part of the deal is not being fulfilled, including in terms of the free delivery of Russian fertilizers arrested in EU ports to African countries. The deal was calculated until November 18 with a subsequent extension for 120 days.