Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday accused the West of “carelessly burying” the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which makes it easier for Ukraine to export agricultural products from its southern ports, Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported.

While Russia remains in the agreement, Russia has repeatedly voiced the West’s approach to the agreement reached last July, saying that countries that have imposed sanctions on Moscow are not doing enough to ease restrictions on Russia’s own exports, especially fertilizers, as stipulated in the agreement under Turkish mediation.

“The West shamelessly buries the well-known humanitarian initiative of the UN Secretary General,” Lavrov said, according to RIA, at a meeting of G20 foreign ministers, referring to the grain deal.

Speaking at the same G20 meeting in India, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that Russia had been “deliberately and systematically” building up stocks of Ukrainian grain in recent months while its own food, grain and fertilizer exports continued.

“It is critical that the G20 speaks out on behalf of expanding and expanding the grain initiative to improve food security for the most vulnerable,” said Mr. Blinken.

The current phase of the Black Sea Initiative, mediated by Turkey and the UN, ends on March 18. It will be extended if neither side raises a formal objection.

Ahead of the deadline to extend the deal in November, Russia also stepped up its criticism of the deal in an attempt to woo more concessions from the West, but ended up letting it go another 120 days.

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday that it would agree to a second extension of the agreement only if the interests of its own agricultural producers are taken into account.

Source: Reuters.