(CNN) — Russia says that its representatives have not yet participated in the negotiations on the extension of the black sea grain dealwhich was a rare agreement between Russia and Ukraine despite the conflict.
“Negotiations on this issue, especially with the participation of Russian representatives, have not taken place,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters.
Repeating a Russian complaint about the deal, Zakharova said that “only the Ukrainian side has been effectively complied with so far, and Russian agricultural exports remain blocked as a result of unilateral Western sanctions.”
The next round of talks on the expansion of the initiative on grain from the Black Sea will take place in Geneva (Switzerland) on March 13 between the Russian delegation and representatives of the United Nations, Zakharova added.
a bit of context: Grain exports are very important, since both Ukraine and Russia are major suppliers of food to the world. In normal times, Ukraine – known as one of the planet’s great breadbaskets – would export around three-quarters of the grain it produces.
According to data from the European Commission, about 90% of these exports were shipped by sea, from Ukrainian Black Sea ports.
The war and its impact on grain exports therefore have important implications, especially in the global south, which is highly dependent on them.
The last time the Black Sea grain agreement was extended was last November and the extension was for 120 days (that is, until March 2023).