By Burc Eruygur
ISTANBUL (AA) - The Kremlin on Monday said it is suspending the Black Sea grain deal.
“The Black Sea agreements ceased to be valid today. As the President of the Russian Federation (Vladimir Putin) said earlier, the deadline is July 17. Unfortunately, the part relating to Russia in this Black Sea agreement has not been implemented so far. Therefore, its effect is terminated," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a press briefing.
Peskov further said that Russia will return to implementing the grain deal as soon as the Russian part of the deal is fulfilled.
Separately, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told state-run RIA news agency that Moscow officially notified Türkiye, Ukraine and the UN secretariat of its objection to extending the grain deal.
A year ago, Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed an agreement in Istanbul to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports which had been paused after the Russia-Ukraine war began that February.
A Joint Coordination Center was set up in Istanbul with officials from the three countries and the UN to oversee the shipments.
The deal has been renewed several times since then, and it was extended for another two months on May 18.