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Ukraine to make no concessions to Russia to extend grain deal — top diplomat

According to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba, Russia "should strictly adhere to its obligations"

© AP Photo/Gideon Maundu, File

MOSCOW, July 3. /TASS/. Ukraine will not make concessions to Russia in order to extend the grain deal, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said on Monday.

"We should make no concessions to Russia for the sake of extending the grain corridor. It is Russia <…> that must adhere to its obligations," he said in an interview with the Rada television channel.

Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said earlier that there was little hope that the grain deal agreements would be implemented before the deal expired.

On July 22, 2022, a package of documents on the supply of food and fertilizers to the international market was signed in Istanbul. The agreements were originally concluded for a period of 120 days. They were extended for the same period last November. On March 18, 2023, Russia announced the extension of the deal for 60 days, warning that this period of time would be enough to see if the memorandum signed with the UN was being implemented. The grain deal was extended for two more months on May 18.

Russia’s foreign ministry has repeatedly stressed that only the Black Sea Initiative is being implemented while nothing has been done under the Russia-UN memorandum.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told an online briefing on June 30 that Russia sees no point in extending the grain deal.

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Ukraine Sergey Lavrov

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