The Russian leadership has once again stated that the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which established a humanitarian maritime corridor to allow ships to export grain and other foodstuffs from Ukraine, was extended only for 60 days after 18 March and not for 120, as the United Nations, Ukraine, and Turkey insist.
The Russian president’s spokesperson Dmitri Peskov made a statement to this effect on 12 April, the CFTS portal reports, citing the Interfax news agency.
"Judging by the situation as of today, the prospects [of the grain agreement] are not so good. The agreement was extended for 60 days and not fully solely because exactly half of the agreement was not implemented and is still not being implemented," he said.
"We know that United Nations representatives are making some efforts, but they are not succeeding in everything. As before, the second half of the agreement is not being implemented. These conditions are not being fulfilled," Peskov added.
As reported earlier, Russia is demanding the resumption of the export of its ammonia through Ukrainian territory in exchange for the operation of the humanitarian maritime corridor. Specifically, Russia is seeking resumption of the operation of the Togliatti - Odesa ammonia pipeline, which transports Russian ammonia to the Pivdennyi seaport for loading onto ships and transportation through the Black Sea. While using this to exert pressure, the Russian Federation is building a terminal for the transshipment of ammonia and nitrogen fertilizers in the port of Taman.
Experts believe that the true subtext of Russian demands is different. “The ammonia pipeline enters the territory of Ukraine near the city of Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region, along the frontline between Kharkiv and the occupied part of Luhansk region. The resumption of ammonia pumping through this pipeline clearly requires a ceasefire in this part of the frontline. The Ukrainian authorities do not agree to this because they understand that this could set the unfavorable precedent of a ‘partial truce,’“said Andrii Klymenko, the head of the Monitoring Group at the Institute of Black Sea Strategic Studies.
As reported earlier, Ukraine’s Minister of Development of Communities, Territories, and Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov announced on 18 March that the agreement on the operation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative had been extended for 120 days. Ukraine’s Ambassador to Turkey Vasyl Bodnar later stated that Turkey and the United Nations had also officially stated that the Black Sea Grain Initiative was extended for 120 days.
