Putin Again Threatens To Quit Black Sea Grains Deal

Moscow has submitted concerns to the United Nations about an agreement on Black Sea grain exports, and is prepared to reject renewing the deal next month unless its demands are addressed, Russia's Geneva UN ambassador told Reuters.

Photo Insert: Russia has burned fields of Ukraine grain and has been slammed by the latter for stealing the aforementioned and selling it.

The agreement, brokered by the UN and Turkey in July, paved the way for Ukraine to resume grain exports from Black Sea ports that had been shut since Russia invaded. Moscow won guarantees for its own grain and fertilizer exports.

The agreement helped stave off a global food crisis: Russia and Ukraine are two of the world's biggest grain exporters and Russia is the number one fertilizer exporter. But Moscow has repeatedly complained about its implementation, arguing it still faces difficulty selling fertilizer and food.

Ukraine also slammed Russia for stealing Ukrainian grain and selling it in the Middle East.

In an interview with Emma Farge of Reuters, Gennady Gatilov, Russia's ambassador to the UN in Geneva, said Moscow had delivered a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday setting out a list of complaints. UN officials are due in Moscow on Sunday to discuss the renewal of the agreement.

"If we see nothing is happening on the Russian side of the deal – export of Russian grains and fertilizers – then excuse us, we will have to look at it in a different way," he said.

Asked if Russia might withhold support for the grains deal's renewal over the concerns, he said: "There is a possibility...We are not against deliveries of grains but this deal should be equal, it should be fair and fairly implemented by all sides."

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said: "We remain in constant touch with Russian officials, as well as with officials from the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States in order to remove the last obstacles to facilitate the export of Russian grain and fertilizer."

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