UN, September 13. /TASS/. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that his proposals to Russia for the resumption of the grain deal do not violate the sanctions regime.

‘We have shared the number of benchmarks with the Russian Federation that we consider necessary to establish a system of mutual guarantee allowing to reestablish the Black Sea initiative and to facilitate the Russian exports," Guterres told a press conference.

"Those efforts are being done not to violate the sanctions regime," he added. According to him, the efforts are "within the sanctions regime to make sure that there are not indirect impacts or chilling effects that were not wished when the sanctions regime was established."

On July 17, Russia refused to continue its participation in the grain deal, which was reached a year ago to ensure safe exports of Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea. President Vladimir Putin stated that none of the terms of the deal regarding the removal of sanctions from Russian exports of grain and fertilizers to world markets had been fulfilled. He repeatedly pointed out that the West exported most of Ukrainian grain to its own states, while the main task of the agreement - supplies to countries in need - was never fulfilled. Nevertheless, Moscow stated that it was ready to immediately return to the deal, once its part that concerns Russia is implemented.