Turkey and Russia announced a two-month extension of the grain deal on May 17, the day before it was due to expire. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the extension of the agreement provides an opportunity "to actually contribute to ensuring global food security."
The agreement on food exports from Ukraine was signed in July 2022, and has been extended twice: in November for 120 days and in March for 60 days. The last time, the Russian side reduced the duration of the agreement due to a number of requirements not being implemented, including the easing of sanctions on the Russian Agricultural Bank and fertilizer companies. During this time, the participants intended to make progress on the implementation of the deal.
The grain agreement includes the creation of safe sea corridors for the export of Ukrainian grain, especially to the world's poorest countries. To this end, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United Nations have established a joint coordination center in Istanbul to inspect grain shipments to prevent weapons smuggling. During the time the grain deal was in effect, Ukraine exported about 30.28 million tons of grain, of which a third, or 9.76 million tons, went to Asia and 11.60 million tons to Western Europe. China, Spain, Turkey, Italy and the Netherlands were the main importers during this period. See the TASS infographics to learn more about where Ukrainian grain goes and the requirements of the grain deal participants.