Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, wanted to first agree on exporting Ukrainian grain and then solve the issue of exporting grain from Russia, thus prolonging the food crisis. 

"He wants to first agree on Ukrainian grain, then on Russian. Nobody is rushing us anywhere," Lavrov said in an interview, continuing to say that "this situation creates problems for many developing countries."

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"The UN Secretary-General, by his actions, is prolonging the food crisis, making it impossible to quickly send grain there. This is regrettable," the Minister said, noting that Guterres has been trying to resolve the issues of exporting Ukrainian grain from ports without any consideration for the security corridors that Russia continues to offer on a daily basis. 

Resumption of talks with Kiev 

Lavrov proceeded by affirming that once Kiev wants to go back to negotiations with Moscow, Russia will proceed as per the situation "on the ground" and deal against the backdrop of some considerations that some of the liberated regions do not want to fall under Ukrainian sovereignty any longer. 

"When they please to turn to us with a proposal to resume the diplomatic process, which, as I understand it, the Europeans are urgently asking them, but the Anglo-Saxons [the Americans and the British] do not allow this, we will look at the situation on the ground," Lavrov said.

"There are liberated areas there. The majority of the population does not even think about returning again to the control of neo-Nazi authorities or authorities that in every possible way indulge neo-Nazism," the Minister added.

Despite this talk, Moscow does not see that Kiev will be returning to negotiations with Russia.

"With great pleasure we will accept the invitation of the President of Belarus to gather on Belarusian territory. But I wouldn’t even think about it. Now I don’t see an opportunity for the Ukrainian side to offer, but we won’t offer anything as well. I see no possibility that they will be allowed to take advantage of the return to the negotiation procedure," the Minister said.