OUR Russian The government considers it unlikely to extend the agreement allowing the export of Ukrainian grain through the ports of the Black Sea, despite the letter received by the President of Russia Vladimir Putin UN Secretary General António Guterres.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed yesterday that the letter had reached President Putin, but added that Moscow saw no progress.

He explained that the Russian fertilizer industry cannot export its products.

Russia insists that Western sanctions imposed on it over the war in Ukraine prevent the export of its own grains, fertilizers and other food products, so the deal remains unworkable.

Mr. Putin urged Mr. Guterres to ensure that grain and fertilizer from Russia can flow freely abroad. It is impossible to insure ships and make payments, since most Russian banks are under sanctions.

These obstacles, Russian presidential spokesman Peskov said, make it unlikely that the agreement could be extended beyond May 18.

For their part, the Ukrainian authorities have recently complained that they are facing obstacles for grain carriers departing from Black Sea ports.

The Initiative for the Safe Export of Grain and Food from Ukrainian Ports, or the Black Sea Grain Initiative, was extended for the second time on March 19. But Russia insisted that the extension last 60 days, not 120.

In mid-April and again on Monday, Moscow threatened to end the deal on May 18 if its terms were not met, in particular if it did not remove barriers to its own agricultural exports and connect to its SWIFT international banking system. Rosselkhozbank specializing in transactions with agricultural products.

When the war broke out, Russia imposed a months-long blockade of Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea, preventing grain exports, raising fears of a famine outbreak both in Ukraine itself and in developing countries. Ukraine and Russia are among the world’s most important grain exporters, accounting for almost a quarter of the world’s grain before the outbreak of armed conflict.

^{Source: APE – MEB, dpa}