Germany urges Russia to extend Black Sea grain deal

By Oliver Towfigh Nia

BERLIN (AA) – Germany on Monday called on Russia to reconsider its decision to suspend the Black Sea grain export agreement, emphasizing that the dispute should not be fought "on the backs of the poor."

Christiane Hoffmann, the government's spokeswoman, said at a news conference in Berlin that her country "continues to appeal to Russia to make a further extension of the grain agreement possible and not to fight out this dispute on the backs of the poorest on this planet."

"And we are hoping for a grain agreement which is not always agreed upon for a limited period or for a short period of time, but that we are hoping that it will also be possible to export grain and fertilizer from Ukraine in the long-term," she added.

Earlier in the day, the Kremlin announced that it has suspended its participation in the Black Sea grain export accord which was due to expire on Monday.

The agreement, initially signed in July of last year in Istanbul by Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine, was aimed at resuming grain exports from Ukrainian ports. These exports had been halted as a result of the Russian-Ukrainian war which began in February 2022.

On May 18, the deal was extended for an additional 60 days, ensuring the continuation of grain exports under the agreement.