OREANDA-NEWS  There are no grounds for extending the grain deal with the current position of the West and the silence of the UN, the agreements expire on July 17. This is stated in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Russian Foreign Ministry.

At the same time, the Russian Foreign Ministry stressed that Moscow continues to approach its obligations responsibly and in good faith, "makes the necessary efforts in strict accordance with the rules of procedure so that all vessels participating in it can successfully complete their mission and leave the Black Sea before the end of its validity period." "The Russia-UN memorandum, as you know, is designed for three years and does not require special decisions on extension," the ministry added.

The Russian Foreign Ministry also noted another surge of propaganda activity on the part of Western countries, Kiev and the UN Secretariat in connection with the imminent expiration of the deal. "A year after the signing of the Istanbul agreements, no one has any more illusions and doubts about the humanitarian orientation of the Black Sea initiative, or about the prospects for the implementation of the Russia-UN memorandum on the normalization of domestic exports of agricultural products and fertilizers. Nevertheless, arguments continue to be used, the essence of which boils down to the fact that without Ukrainian fodder corn, the world will die of hunger, and illegal unilateral sanctions imposed by Westerners against Russia do not apply to food and fertilizers," the report says.