Russia called the condition for the resumption of the “grain deal”

Russia is ready to return to the grain deal only after concrete results in the implementation of the Russian part of the deal, and not the next “assurances” and “promises” of the UN and the West. This was stated by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova.

“The UN has three more months to be implemented, to achieve concrete results,” Zakharova said, she is quoted by RIA Novosti.

Recall that the “grain deal” is an agreement between Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the UN on the export of grain from the Black Sea ports, which was signed on July 22, 2022. The initiative involves the export of Ukrainian grain, food and fertilizer across the Black Sea from three ports. As part of the deal, there is also a second part – a Russia-UN memorandum, designed for three years. It provides for a number of measures, such as unblocking Russian exports of food and fertilizers, reconnecting Rosselkhozbank to SWIFT, resuming supplies of agricultural equipment, etc. This part of the package agreement was never implemented.

On July 17 of this year, Russia refused to extend the “grain deal” until the conditions promised by the Russian Federation were fulfilled. Moscow withdrew guarantees for the safety of navigation, curtailed the maritime humanitarian corridor, restored the regime of a temporarily dangerous area in the northwestern Black Sea, and announced the disbandment of the joint coordination center in Istanbul.

The day before, the Kremlin said that the extension of the “deal” is fraught with risks, since the supply route passes close to the fighting. Later, Paul Markides, a representative of the association of dry cargo owners Intercargo, confirmed that it was not safe to send their ships to Ukrainian ports before the restoration of the corridors, therefore, in his opinion, ship owners are unlikely to take such a risky step.