The United Nations Negotiates with the Kremlin on the Grain Agreement

The Kremlin announced today, Wednesday, that it has not yet made a final decision on extending the grain export agreement through the Black Sea ports, while the United Nations has pledged to make every possible effort to extend the agreement before it expires on July 17. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated about the agreement, "We have not announced the decision yet; we will announce it in due time." The agreement allows for the safe export of grain from Ukraine despite the fact that the conflict has now entered its seventeenth month. He added, "There is still time to fulfill this part of the agreements that concern our country. So far, this part has not been completed, and therefore at the moment, unfortunately, there are no specific grounds for extending this agreement." UN Conference on Trade and Development Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan stated today in Geneva that both parts of the agreement are equally important. She added, "We want both parties to continue to reduce prices to achieve stable markets for food and fertilizers in the world... The United Nations will remain committed to making every possible effort to continue the agreements." She indicated that she might visit Russia to meet with officials in Moscow before the grain export agreement through the Black Sea expires.