[Regnum] The negotiation process to extend the terms of the grain deal may be activated from the beginning of July. This was announced on June 26 by a RIA Novosti source familiar with the process.
The interlocutor stressed that so far the situation with the deal does not inspire optimism.
“There is a high probability that negotiations will enter an active phase from the beginning of July,” he added.
The source also did not rule out a high probability that the negotiations will soon be held at the highest level.
As IA Regnum reported , agreements on the export of grain and other products from Ukraine along the Black Sea corridor were adopted in 2022 as part of a wider deal (the Black Sea Grain Initiative). They assumed a number of actions in the interests of Russia, including the unblocking of the ammonia pipeline and the connection of Rosselkhozbank to the SWIFT system. Not a single promise was kept.
Nevertheless, Russia agreed to renew the agreement, but the Kremlin and the Foreign Ministry noted that if the situation did not change, the deal would be terminated. So, the Black Sea initiative was once again extended in May 2023 . It will be valid until July 17 inclusive.
Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergei Vershinin said that July 18 could be the day the grain deal was completed due to unfulfilled promises under the deal.
In turn, the coordinator for strategic communications at the White House National Security Council, John Kirby , said that the US authorities believe that the grain deal benefits the whole world, and they are counting on its extension . He added that the United States heard Vershinin's statement and took it "with regret."
As the Deputy Spokesman of the UN Secretary General Farhan Haq emphasized , the UN would like to achieve the continuation of both parts of the food deal (the Black Sea Grain Initiative) and is discussing this issue with all parties.
There are no prerequisites for extending the grain deal , because it has not been fulfilled, said Dmitry Peskov, press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation.