Zelensky on "grain deal": Türkiye president, UN chief should talk with Russia

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine says he does not see Russia's interest in extending the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

The president addressed the issue during a joint press conference of participants in the Summit of Northern European countries and Ukraine in Helsinki, answering questions of the validity of Russian claims about an alleged Ukrainian attack on the Kremlin affecting the "grain agreement", reports an Ukrinform correspondent.

"I do not see Russia's interest in continuing the ‘grain agreement.’ But we are not looking for Russia's interest, we are looking for the implementation of the agreement with our partners. Regarding the grain initiative, we have clear agreements with the UN Secretary General and the President of Türkiye... They, for their part, should talk with the Russian side and continue the operation of this grain corridor, which the countries around the world need so much," the president noted.

According to Zelensky, Ukraine will abide by the deal and plans to continue the initiative.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, a meeting on extending the Black Sea Grain Initiative at the level of the deputy defense ministers of Ukraine, Türkiye, and Russia will be held in Istanbul on May 5.

On April 26, the Russian Federation once again suspended the operation of the "grain corridor."

On March 20, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Moscow agreed to extend the "grain deal,” which expired on March 18, allegedly for only 60 days instead of 120, as it was before. To have the Black Sea Initiative extended further, Moscow put forward a set of demands, including reconnecting Rosselkhozbank to SWIFT; restoring supplies of agricultural machinery, spare parts, and services; lifting restrictions on insurance and reinsurance, as well as the ban on access to ports; resuming operation of the Tolyatti-Odesa ammonia pipeline; and unblocking foreign assets and accounts of Russian companies related to the production and transportation of food and fertilizers.

At the same time, the Russian Foreign Ministry claimed that their position was allegedly brought to the attention of the Turkish and Ukrainian parties, as well as representatives of the UN.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mykola Tochytskyi, in a comment to Ukrinform made on March 23, stated that Ukraine has been fulfilling its obligations to the UN and Türkiye within the framework of the "grain agreement,” declaring it would retain the right to supply Ukrainian grain for another 120 days. The agreement does not mention any additional preconditions, apart from grain deliveries by sea.

Photo: Ukrainian President’s Office