Russia Agrees to Extend Ukraine Grain Deal for 2 More Months, Confirms Turkish Prez

President Erdogan expressed his gratitude to Russia, stating that they assured Turkey that they would not interfere with Turkish ships departing from Ukrainian ports. The decision was made following talks held in Istanbul between senior officials from Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, and the United Nations a week earlier.

This latest extension follows a similar announcement made by Erdogan in March. However, specific details regarding the expiration date were not disclosed at that time, as reported by CNN. The Black Sea grain deal was initially brokered by the United Nations and Turkey in July of the previous year to guarantee safe passage for ships transporting grain exports from Ukraine. The agreement was set to expire today.

The signing of the agreement between Ukraine and Russia in July marked the end of months of negotiations mediated by the UN and Turkey. The agreement allowed the resumption of Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea.

On November 2, Russia resumed its participation in the Black Sea grain deal after receiving assurances from Ukraine that the designated ports for agricultural exports would not be used for military operations.

The Russian defense ministry stated that written guarantees were obtained with the assistance of an international organization and Turkey and submitted to the Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) on November 1.

According to a statement from the United Nations, the Black Sea grain initiative enables the export of commercial food and fertilizer, including ammonia, from three major Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea: Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Yuzhny/Pivdennyi. The Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) was established to oversee the implementation of the initiative.