The Kremlin said on Tuesday it had agreed to extend a deal that allows Ukraine to export grain as a sign of “goodwill” to Kiev, alleging that parts of the deal still did not satisfy Russia, Reuters and Yahoo News.ro reported.

This was stated by Kremlin spokesman Dmytro Peskov during the daily press conference. Peskov again criticized the West, accusing Western countries of not doing enough to ensure that Russian exports of agricultural products and fertilizers also do not face obstacles.

Asked by reporters in Moscow why Russia had agreed to extend the agreement for 60 days instead of 120 days as previously planned, Peskov said the decision was actually a “gesture of goodwill” in the hope that after such a long period of time, all parties will fulfill their obligations to Russia.

“It is obvious that the second part of the agreement, the one that concerns us, is not being implemented (…) the agreement cannot stand on one leg,” said Vladimir Putin’s press secretary.

His comments came as Russia has repeatedly accused Western powers of breaking their promise to lift restrictions that affect Russia’s ability to export its agricultural products and fertilizers.

“We appreciate the efforts made by the UN, including the Secretary General personally. But, despite them, mr [Antonio] Guterres failed to break the wall of the collective West. The conditions that were agreed upon as an integral part of the agreement have not been fulfilled,” Dmytro Peskov said.

In Russia, they are talking about a new “gesture of goodwill” regarding Ukrainian grain

His comments quickly sparked a flurry of irony on social media, with many netizens recalling Russia’s “benevolent” withdrawal from Snake Island, announced by Moscow’s Defense Ministry on June 30 last year.

“On June 30, as a sign of goodwill, the Russian armed forces completed their tasks on Zmiiny Island and withdrew their garrison from there,” the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported at the time, noting that this step should facilitate the export of grain from Ukraine.

“Russia does not oppose the UN’s efforts to create a humanitarian corridor for the export of grain products from Ukraine,” the spokesman of the Russian ministry said, adding that “this decision will no longer allow Kyiv to speculate on the inevitability of a food crisis, saying that it is impossible to export grain due to the complete control of Russia over the north-western Black Sea”.

Western offices and the UN have repeatedly accused Russia of creating a global food crisis by blocking grain exports from Ukraine, one of the world’s largest producers before the war.

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