Russia announced today that the United Nations has three months to implement the terms of a memorandum aimed at facilitating Russian agricultural exports if it wants Moscow to resume talks on allowing the continuation of Ukrainian grain exports. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova emphasized that the responsibility now lies with the UN to fulfill the Russian agreement, "if it wishes Moscow to return to broader discussions regarding assistance in resuming Ukrainian exports."
Zakharova stated on Wednesday to Sputnik Radio, "The memorandum between Russia and the UN stipulates that the agreement will be in effect for three years, and if either party wishes to terminate it, they must provide a three-month notice to the other party. We have given such notice."
She added: "Accordingly, the UN has three months left to achieve tangible results, and if there are tangible results, we will resume talks on that broader issue."
On Monday, Russia declared it had suspended its participation in a year-long agreement brokered by the UN that allowed for the export of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea, citing complaints about unfulfilled promises to facilitate its food and fertilizer exports.
The UN and Turkey brokered the grain export agreement in July of last year in an attempt to address a global food crisis and overcome additional obstacles that emerged after Russia sent military forces to invade Ukraine.
At that time, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres indicated that Russia's withdrawal also meant the suspension of the agreement related to facilitating the export of Russian grains and fertilizers.
