The Russian part of the grain deal is still not working, which is why the current prospects for its extension are “not so good,” Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday.
“The deal was extended for 60 days but not completely, exclusively due to the fact that precisely half of this so-called deal has not worked and is not working now. We know that representatives of the United Nations are making certain efforts, but they cannot do much, and the second half of the deal is still non-functional and these terms are not being met,” the Kremlin spokesman stated.
“No deal can stand on one foot; it must stand on two feet. In this regard, of course, judging by the current situation, the prospects [for extension] are not so good,” Peskov stressed.
The deal for the export of foodstuffs from Ukraine was concluded in Istanbul on July 22, 2022, for a period of 120 days. One of the agreements, regulating grain exports from the Kiev-controlled ports of Odessa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny, was initially valid until last November.
In addition, a memorandum was signed between Russia and the United Nations under which the international organization should commit to lifting restrictions on supplies of Russian fertilizer and agricultural products to global markets. Russia has said that this part of the agreement has never been implemented.
On March 18, Russia announced a 60-day extension of the deal, warning that this timeframe would be enough to assess whether the memorandum signed by the UN was being implemented.