The extension of the landmark Black Sea grain deal is dependent on the West easing Russia’s own agricultural and fertilizer exports, the country told a top United Nations representative on Monday, its defense ministry said.
Russia has increasingly objected to the July 22 deal, brokered by the United Nations along with Türkiye, which could expire next month. The accord aimed at unblocking food exports from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, which Russia had blockaded after it launched the invasion of its southern neighbor.
Russia has complained that its exports were still hindered. Facilitating Russia’s food and fertilizer shipments is also the central aspect of the package deal.
Moscow could object to extending the pact allowing Ukraine’s exports beyond late November.
In a meeting in Moscow, Russia’s Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin told U.N. Under-Secretary-General Martin Griffiths that extending the deal "directly depends on ensuring full implementation of all previously reached agreements."
Russia says the impact of Western sanctions on logistics, payments, shipping and insurance prevents it from exporting fertilizers and chemicals like ammonia and that easing those restrictions was a key part of the deal.
U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said talks would continue on extending and expanding the agreement after U.N. officials on Monday said they held "positive and constructive" discussions in Moscow.
Griffiths and U.N. trade official Rebeca Grynspan met on Sunday and Monday with Russia Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin.
The July deal has allowed some 354 ships to export 7.86 million metric tons of grains and other foods from Aug. 1 through Oct. 18, Türkiye’s Transport and Infrastructure Minister Adil Karaismailoğlu said on Tuesday.
The deal was also discussed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week in Astana.
"We are determined to strengthen and continue the grain exports under the Istanbul agreement and the transfer of Russian grain and fertilizer to less developed countries via Türkiye," Erdoğan said during the meeting.
The feasibility of renewing the grain deal for up to one year has been offered to Putin during the meeting, but the Russian side has not provided any feedback yet, Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalın said on Tuesday.
Kalın said Türkiye had conveyed to the United States that it needed to give assurances to Moscow over the healthy operation of grain shipments.
U.N.’s Grynspan also held discussions with Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov on facilitating exports of Russian grain and fertilizer to global markets and Griffiths discussed the more effective implementation of the deal with Fomin.
"Discussions will continue. Fertilizers and raw materials required to produce fertilizers – that includes ammonia – originating from the Russian Federation are key to worldwide agricultural production," Dujarric said.
"We are concerned about the next harvest and crisis in the making if fertilizers are not made available quickly and at a reasonable price to farmers all over the world as the sowing seasons begins," Dujarric warned.
The U.N. said the agreement on Russian and Ukrainian exports is needed to tackle a global food crisis it said had been worsened by Russia’s war in Ukraine, pushing some 47 million people into "acute hunger."