The Wrangling in Istanbul went right down to the wire as Russia and Ukraine sought terms to extend the agreement beyond May 18.
The Initiative was originally signed on July 22, 2022, and has been extended several times, usually in increments of a few months. Brokered by the United Nations and signed in Turkey, and has enabled the export of more than 30 million tons of grain from Ukraine, staving off a potential food crisis in parts of the developing world, especially Africa.
The deal stipulates that cargo ships must be inspected by Turkish authorities before they are allowed to leave Ukrainian ports, must be escorted by Turkish warships through the Black Sea and must not be carrying any weapons or military equipment.On Saturday, Ukraine’s restoration and infrastructure Vice Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov tweeted that the initiative had been extended for 120 days, as Ukraine had wanted. On Friday, Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said Russia informed Turkey and Ukraine that they would agree to 60 days. Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin announced on Monday that Russia was „ready to accept” a 60-day extension in order to see if progress can be made on the export of Russia’s food and fertilisers.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said the deal „contributed to lowering the global cost of food and has offered critical relief to people, who are also paying a high price for this war, particularly in the developing world.” Progress was made by the deputy defence ministers of Turkey, Russia and Ukraine as well as U.N. humanitarian agency officials agreed to continue four-way technical meetings on the agreement, during which the Kremlin said it could speak with Tayyip Erdogan at short notice if needed.
The agreement is now set to expire in late July.
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Black Sea Grain Initiative Extended Again
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