Russia wants the West to ease restrictions on state agricultural lender Rossilhospbank to facilitate Russian grain exports, according to four sources familiar with the request made during talks to expand a deal on food supplies from Ukraine, Reuters reported.

War in Ukraine: in the Zaporizhzhia region, a grain warehouse was destroyed after a missile attack by Russian troopsPhoto: Dmytro Smolenko / Avalon / Profimedia Images

Moscow suspended its participation in the Black Sea Secure Grain Corridor at the end of October, but returned four days later, allaying fears of further disruptions to grain exports from key supplier Ukraine amid global food inflation.

President Vladimir Putin has reserved the right to again terminate the United Nations-brokered deal as UN chief Antonio Guterres pressures Moscow to agree to extend the accord beyond its scheduled Nov. 19 expiration.

Russia has not publicly voiced its demands, other than calls to unblock Russian fertilizer stuck in European ports and warehouses and to resume exports of ammonia, a key fertilizer ingredient, through a Russian-Ukrainian pipeline.

The four sources, who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the subject, said Russia is asking Western countries to allow state lender Rossilhospbank to restore relations with correspondent banks despite Western sanctions.

This will allow the bank, which has not played a major role in international grain trade until now, to process payments for Russian grain and other food products, the two sources added. Before the latest sanctions, such payments were processed by international banks and subsidiaries of other Russian banks in Switzerland.

The sources did not say what response Russia received to his proposals.

A source at the UN, who wished to remain anonymous, said that simplifying the payment of Russian food and fertilizers through Rossilkhozbank is being discussed with the European Union and other parties.

Russia has said the sanctions, imposed after the start of what it calls a special military operation in Ukraine, make it difficult for Russian grain and fertilizer traders to process payments and access ships, insurance and ports, even if the food is not subject to sanctions.

The UN said it “remains committed to removing obstacles that remain in the way of Russian food and fertilizer exports.”