Nebenzia pointed to the lack of progress in the implementation of the Russian part of the grain deal

Russia still does not see any progress in the implementation of the Russian part of the grain deal: Rosselkhozbank remains under sanctions, Russian agricultural supplies continue to be blocked by Western sanctions. This was stated by the Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN Vasily Nebenzya, transmits TASS.

“For almost a year now, we have not seen the slightest progress in the second part of the package deal by UN Secretary General António Guterres – the Russia-UN Memorandum. Main Russian bank Rosselkhozbank, sharpened exclusively for financial settlements for export agricultural operations, remains under sanctions. The one-time transactions that are so “generously” promised to us in Washington and Brussels are simply ridiculous when they are presented as an effective solution to the problem. The package proposed by the UN Secretary General works only in terms of serving Ukrainian commercial exports, Russian agricultural supplies continue to be blocked by Western sanctions without any prospect of easing them for supposedly unsanctioned fertilizers and food,” he said.

This is not the first time Nebenzya has made such a statement. Also in April the diplomat declaredthat there is no movement in the situation around compliance with the Russian part of the grain deal.

Press Secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov May 12 declared journalists that there is no information on the possibility of extending the grain deal yet, contacts on this issue are ongoing. And before that, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar informed on the movement of the parties in the direction of extending the grain deal.

On May 11, the Turkish Defense Ministry reported that negotiations between Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the UN would continued at the technical level in the near future.

In turn, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin informedthat the grain deal will cease to exist unless a consensus is reached on the implementation of the terms of the second part of the agreement. According to him, Russia opposes the indefinite extension of the grain deal, which expires on May 18. Vershinin added that “there is still some time” before a final decision is made.

The last time the grain deal was extended in mid-March for two months, until May 18. April 25 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov saidthat the situation around the agreement reached an impasse. The minister pointed to the unwillingness to remove obstacles to the export of Russian fertilizers, despite their shortage, and also to connect Rosselkhozbank to SWIFT. The Kremlin also called the prospects for extending the agreement “not very good.”

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 implemented.