Peskov: Grain Deal Expires Today

The Black Sea agreements were actually terminated today, and the part of the grain deal concerning Russia was not implemented, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday. "In fact, the Black Sea arrangements were terminated today. As the President of the Russian Federation said earlier, the deadline expires on July 17. Unfortunately, the part of the Black Sea agreement concerning Russia has not been implemented so far. Therefore, the deal is to be terminated," Peskov said. “The grain deal is put on hold,” the Kremlin spokesman emphasized.  “As soon as the part concerning Russia is implemented, the Russian side will resume the implementation of the agreement”. The agreements on food exports from Ukraine were signed on 22 July 2022 in Istanbul for 120 days and then extended three times. One of the agreements regulates the procedure for exporting grain from Ukraine-controlled ports. The other part concerns the access to world markets for Russian agricultural products and fertilizers; its provisions remain unimplemented to this day. On 18 May, Russia announced for the last time that it would extend the deal for 60 days, i.e. until 17 July, warning that this would be enough time for an unambiguous assessment of how its terms were being implemented. In that regard, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that no provision of the Russian part of the deal “had been implemented” during all the months of its existence, while the Ukrainian foodstuffs export was ensured. The Russian Minister noted that grain from Ukraine did not go to the poorest countries, but mainly to western ones.