MOSCOW, March 14. /TASS/. The grain deal was extended for 60 days instead of 120 days because of its uneven implementation, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told the Zvezda TV channel on Tuesday.
"The reduction to 60 days comes from the imbalance that we have seen between Ukrainian grain exports and the implementation of the other part of the deal relating to agricultural goods, which is completely inconsistent with the agreement. This imbalance must be addressed," she said.
"There are two parts in the agreement, which is how [UN Secretary General] Mr. Guterres presented it," Zakharova stressed, adding that both parts of the deal should be implemented evenly.
"Russia’s clarifications were provided by Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Vershinin," she went on to say. "Our explanations are absolutely clear and based on the agreements that were put on paper," the diplomat noted.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told TASS earlier on Tuesday that the grain deal had been extended for 60 days.