The European Union is looking for ways to return Russia to the grain deal

The European Union is looking for ways to get Moscow back into the grain deal, Peter Stano, spokesman for the EU’s foreign service, told reporters.

During the briefing, he was asked whether the European Commission was ready to fulfill Moscow’s demands for the resumption of the Black Sea initiative.

“Of course, we are working with partners and supporting their efforts to find ways to bring Russia back into the grain deal,” Stano responded (quote according to TASS).

When asked whether the European Commission knew about the letter from UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the grain deal, Stano answered in the negative, adding that the EU supports the efforts of other parties to renew the agreement.

On September 6, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported that the UN Secretary General and his experts put forward four proposals: SWIFT for a subsidiary of Rosselkhozbank, the creation of an insurance platform for Russian ships, the unblocking of foreign assets of Russian fertilizer producing companies, and the establishment of access for Russian ships to European ports. The UN expects guarantees from the Russian side to restore the Black Sea initiative. The ministry called these measures palliative, designed to create only the appearance of work, and not leading to the lifting of sanctions.

On September 8, the Bild newspaper cited a letter from Guterres statedthat the implementation of these proposals will lead to the fulfillment of all the requirements previously voiced by Moscow. According to the UN Secretary General, with their help it is possible to restore the deal.

The grain deal was concluded by representatives of Turkey and the UN on the one hand and representatives of Russia and Ukraine on the other on July 22, 2022. As part of the negotiations, Moscow and Kyiv signed two agreements. The first is for the export of Ukrainian grain from the ports of Odessa, Yuzhny and Chernomorsk, the second is for assistance in the export of Russian grain and fertilizers. Moscow has repeatedly stated that the second part of the deal is not being implemented, and on July 17 Russia left the Black Sea initiative.