The Kremlin has restated that it sees "no grounds" to extend the Black Sea grain deal, alleging that the Turkish- and United Nations-brokered accord, which is up for renewal on July 17, was not being properly implemented. On a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed the UN had been forced to acknowledge that "unfortunately, they are not managing to exert the necessary influence on the countries of the collective West in order to fulfill this Russian part of the agreement." He was referring to a list of Russian demands, including the removal of what Moscow says are obstacles to the export of its own grain and fertilizers. On June 20, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an acceleration of Black Sea grain shipments. To read the original story by Reuters, click here.
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