Peskov said there were no prerequisites for extending the grain deal

The Kremlin sees no prerequisites for extending the grain deal, as the agreements are not being implemented. This was announced by the press secretary of the President Dmitry Peskov.

“No, there are no prerequisites, because it has not been fulfilled. The agreements have not yet been fulfilled. We have already heard statements by UN representatives who are forced to state that, unfortunately, it is not possible to exert the necessary influence on the countries of the collective West in order to fulfill this Russian part of the agreements. Therefore, for now, unfortunately, things are still there, ”Peskov stressed.

On June 13, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the consideration of the option of withdrawing from the agreement on grain at a meeting with military commanders. June 20 Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Vershinin allowed completion of the grain agreement on July 18 due to non-fulfillment of the agreements. However, he did not rule out the possibility of a new round of consultations with the UN. Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko declaredthat the withdrawal from the grain agreement does not mean the termination of the memorandum between Russia and the UN on the supply of Russian agricultural products and fertilizers to world markets.

John Kirby, strategic communications coordinator at the White House National Security Council (NSC), announced the US intention to support the UN and Turkey in extending the grain deal. He noted that the US administration is ready to support the extension of the initiative, as the deal has “value for people far beyond the region.” The official representative of the UN Secretary General Farhan Haq said that the organization continues to work with Russia and Ukraine, and is also in contact with Western countries on the implementation of the Russian part of the agreements.

The deal itself was concluded on July 22, 2022. Its participants are representatives of Turkey and the UN, on the one hand, and representatives of Russia and Ukraine, on the other. Separate agreements were signed with Moscow and Kiev: the first one was for the export of Ukrainian grain from three ports, including Odessa, Yuzhny and Chernomorsk, the second one was to help facilitate the export of Russian grain and fertilizers under international sanctions in connection with the special operation. Moscow has repeatedly pointed out that the second part of the deal is not being implemented. The last time the deal was extended on May 18, it is valid until July 17.