According to Reuters and MarineTraffic.com eyewitnesses, the last vessel traveling under a UN agreement allowing the safe export of Ukrainian grain to the Black Sea left the port of Odesa early Sunday morning before the agreement’s extension expired.

Ukrainian grain was unloaded in the port of ConstantaPhoto: Vadim Girda / AP / Profimedia

Russia has not agreed to register new ships since June 27, and the initiative expires on Monday unless Moscow agrees to extend it.

A United Nations spokesman said Friday that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is awaiting a response from Russian President Vladimir Putin on a proposal to extend the deal.

Putin told South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in a phone call on Saturday that promises to remove obstacles to Russian food and fertilizer exports have not yet been fulfilled, the Kremlin said.

Russia has repeatedly threatened to withdraw from the agreement concluded by the UN and Turkey in July 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Earlier, it was extended for two months until May 17.

Ukrainian officials did not immediately comment on whether the Turkish-flagged ship TQ Samsun left Odesa.

Ukraine and Russia are among the world’s leading grain exporters.

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