The Kremlin confirmed Thursday that Russia had renewed the Black Sea grain deal for two months after achieving some results in talks that gave it “certain hopes,” but it said more progress was needed to advance its own interests.
The extension was first announced by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in a televised speech on Wednesday, and it was later confirmed by Russia, Ukraine, and the United Nations.
Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine has contributed to a global food crisis, which the UN and Turkey helped to alleviate in July of last year by mediating an agreement allowing Ukraine to export grain from Black Sea ports for an initial 120 days.
Initially, it appeared that Moscow would not extend the pact unless a number of conditions concerning its own agricultural exports were met.
When asked about the extension, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia had achieved a “qualified result” in negotiations to ease agricultural export restrictions.
Russia wants restrictions on payment removed
One of Moscow’s main demands is that restrictions on international payments to Russia’s state agricultural bank be lifted, and he told reporters that various options were being discussed.
“In terms of guarantees for Rosselkhoz bank, various options are being considered, which would be equivalent to reversing its exclusion from the SWIFT payment system,” he explained.
As the author puts it, “there are certain hopes based on the negotiations that have taken place so far.”
He did, however, suggest that additional progress be made within the next two months in order to satisfy Moscow.
“It is critical to recognize that the fate of the deal remains in the hands of those with whom the UN must reach an agreement on the Russian part of the deal,” Peskov said.
“There has been some progress; there are results, but they are not conclusive.” We intend to find a permanent solution to this problem within the next 60 days.
He also stated that talks about a pipeline transporting ammonia from a Russian city to a Ukrainian port were ongoing.
