The source added that the United Nations wants to hold talks on expanding the Black Sea agreement, which was concluded last July, to include more Ukrainian ports and other shipments, in conjunction with the start of that preparatory work.
The source added, saying that Ukraine and Turkey have agreed to the new proposal, which aims to improve operations in the grain export corridor in the Black Sea, but Russia has not yet responded.
Russia had warned earlier that the agreement to export Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea ports would no longer work, unless the United Nations agreement with Moscow was fulfilled, to remove obstacles to Russian grain and fertilizer exports.
Russia has repeatedly warned that it will not renew the agreement, due to obstacles to its exports of grain and fertilizers due to Western sanctions, but it agreed on May 17 to extend the agreement for another two months.
“If everything remains as it is, and it is clear that it will remain so, then it will be necessary to proceed from the fact that the agreement is no longer working,” said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
In mid-May, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the extension of the agreement to export Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea ports for an additional two months, a day before Russia’s possible withdrawal from the agreement due to obstacles it said stood in the way of its exports of grain and fertilizers.
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