The official, Olha Trofimtseva, told a press conference that Ukraine was receiving mixed signals on the future of the agreement, the extension of which was discussed during talks in Turkey last week.
Ukraine’s Black Sea ports were blocked after the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war last year, but access to three of them was granted in July as part of a deal between Moscow and Kiev negotiated by the United Nations and Turkey.
“The overall position hasn’t changed much after the talks, and we’re getting completely conflicting information about the grain deal and its possible continuation,” Trophimtseva said.
Moscow has threatened to end its participation in the deal on May 18 unless a list of demands to remove obstacles to the export of Russian grain and fertilizers is met.
Trofimtseva said: “This termination and Russia’s exit from the grain initiative is possible, but it will mean for everyone and the Russian side mainly an escalation of the situation and they will maintain their position in all future negotiations.”
He added that Ukraine exported 2.5 million tons of agricultural products in April, despite the decline in the use of the grain export corridor.
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