Russia will extend Ukraine grain deal for 60 days – not 120
CTV
On the eve of the expiration of a deal enabling Ukraine to export grain, Russia's U.N. ambassador reiterated that Moscow is ready to extend the deal -- but only for 60 days, just half the 120 days in the agreement.
On the eve of the expiration of a deal enabling Ukraine to export grain, the United Nations' humanitarian chief on Friday called its extension crucial to ensuring global food supplies and keeping prices from spiralling as they did after Russia's invasion of its smaller neighbour.
Russia's U.N. ambassador reiterated that Moscow is ready to extend the deal -- but only for 60 days, just half the 120 days in the agreement.
Russian envoy Vassily Nebenzia's briefing to the U.N. Security Council, reiterating what a Russian delegation told senior U.N. officials at a meeting in Geneva on Monday, reinforced the Kremlin's insistence on reducing the duration of the deal to hold out for changes on how the package is working.
The U.N. and Turkiye brokered the deal between the warring countries last July that allows Ukraine -- one of the world's key breadbaskets -- to ship food and fertilizer from three of its Black Sea ports. A separate memorandum of understanding between the United Nations and Russia is aimed at overcoming obstacles to Moscow's shipments of fertilizer to global markets.
The original 120-day agreement was renewed last November and expires Saturday. It would be automatically extended for another 120 days unless one of the parties objects -- and Nebenzia said Russia has formally objected.
U.N. Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths opened the Security Council meeting saying the Black Sea grain initiative has seen global food prices continue to fall.
Under the initiative, he said, close to 25 million metric tons of foodstuff have been exported since last August, and the U.N. World Food Program has been able to transport more than half a million metric tonnes of wheat to support humanitarian operations in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Yemen. Griffiths also said it's vital for the U.N.-Russia memorandum to be fully implemented.
