The Russian government says an extension of the grain deal is off the table. “This agreement is terminated in effect.”

The grain deal was concluded last July by Russia and Ukraine under the auspices of the United Nations and Turkey. The agreement allowed grain to be safely transported from Ukraine to other regions via the Black Sea.

Ukraine is one of the world’s largest grain exporters. Without Ukrainian grain, food prices around the world are feared to rise.

As the grain agreement expired, the agreement was extended several times. Russia used each new deadline to make new demands.

At the moment, the Kremlin says it is experiencing many restrictions on fertilizer and food exports. It has also been a sticking point for the Russian side in previous negotiations on the deal.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia could negotiate another deal if Russian conditions are met.

According to Peskov, Russia’s decision not to renew the agreement had nothing to do with last night’s attack on the Crimean bridge.

Since the beginning of the grain agreement, 32.8 million tons of grain and other crops have been shipped from ports controlled by the Ukrainian government. This is evident from the statistics of the Joint Coordination Center, the organization that monitors compliance with the agreement.

The body consists of representatives of Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the UN. For example, he inspects ships entering and leaving Istanbul to prevent weapons from being transported to the battlefield.

Since the agreement, 1,003 loaded cargo ships have left Ukraine. Half of the ships’ cargo consisted of corn. Wheat (27 percent) and a by-product of sunflower oil, sunflower seed meal (6 percent) were also exported.

No ships were attacked by the warring parties en route. No violation of agreements was found during any inspection.

Wien Slendabroek

According to Here is the story Former Russia correspondent Tom Vennink wrote about the importance of the grain deal.