The UN announced the continuation of contacts with Russia and Ukraine on the grain deal

The UN continues to work with Russia and Ukraine to extend the grain agreement, said Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for the organization’s secretary general.

“We continue to work with the parties, including the Russian Federation and Ukraine, to ensure that we can continue to operate the Black Sea Grain Initiative and the memorandum of understanding on [экспорте] Russian food and fertilizer,” Haq said (quote according to TASS).

In addition, the UN, according to him, is in contact with Western countries on the implementation of the Russian part of the agreements, but “there are a number of things, a number of levers that are simply not at our disposal.”

White House National Security Council (NSC) Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby declared about the intention of the United States 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 it has “value for people far beyond the region.”

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Vershinin 20 June 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.

Despite Haq’s statement, the Foreign Ministry assured earlier that 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. According to Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko, the grain deal took place only because “the parties involved in it came to a common point of view that, in the face of global security risks, it is necessary to find ways to export grain” from some Russian and Ukrainian ports.

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.