Russia gives UN a time limit to meet grain deal obligations
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Russia will only enter into Grain Deal talks if the UN meets its obligations towards Russia in 3 months.
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Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova speaks to the media in Moscow, Russia, March 29, 2018 (AFP)
Russia has given the United Nations three more months to fulfill its memorandum with Moscow on the export of Russian grain and fertilizers, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told Radio Sputnik on Wednesday.
"The UN has three more months to implement [the memorandum with Russia on the export of Russian grain and fertilizers] to achieve concrete results," Zakharova said.
The Russian diplomat added that the door is still open to discuss the grain deal only in the event that obligations towards Russia are met, Zakharova added.
On Monday, Russian First Deputy Representative to the UN Dmitry Polyanskiy announced on Monday that Russia's suspension of the Grain Deal is final, and as of now, there will be no further talks.
When asked about possible upcoming negotiations, Polyanskiy said, "Not to my knowledge."
Russia's Ambassador to Belarus, Boris Gryzlov, stated that a note was sent from the embassy to Ukraine via diplomatic connections to notify them that the deal would be terminated on July 18.
Read more: Prices of wheat soar after Russia announces grain deal suspension
This comes after Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, announced that the agreements underlying the contentious Black Sea Grain Deal have been "terminated", adding that it will return to the agreement as soon as all parties involved take the previously agreed-upon procedures.
According to Peskov, "The Russian Federation will return to the deal as soon as the Russian prerequisites are met... The Grain Deal has come to a halt," he said, emphasizing that the other signatories had yet to honor some of the agreement's stipulations regarding Russia.
Moscow says that the lack of commitment is what drove Russia to bring the deal to an end. The deal benefited Ukraine while sanctions hindered the export and sale of Russian grain and fertilizers.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters that the UN addressed Russian President Vladimir Putin in a letter suggesting additional ways to "remove hurdles affecting financial transactions through the Russian Agricultural Bank."
The end of the deal will drive a new food insecurity crisis, adding pressure on the already overburdened humanitarian relief system, which is dealing with unprecedented displacement and a rise in hunger while facing substantial budget gaps.
Read more: End of grain deal to have major consequences on global food security
