Russia could provide grain to African countries for free if the Black Sea grain deal is not extended in May, its president said Monday, as Moscow laid out conditions for further renewal of the landmark pact that eased some of the concerns over the global food supply.

The deal, allowing the safe export of grain from Ukrainian and Russian Black Sea ports, was renewed on Saturday for 60 days – half the intended period – after Moscow said any further extension beyond May 18 would hinge on the removal of some Western sanctions.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday said only a small amount of grain exports unblocked under the deal had reached Africa and that the fulfillment of Russian conditions for the deal's renewal was in Africa's interest.

The pact was brokered with Russia and Ukraine by the United Nations and Türkiye in July and renewed for a further 120 days in November. The aim was to combat a global food crisis that was fueled in part by Russia’s Feb. 24, 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the Black Sea blockade.

Both Russia and Ukraine are major grain exporters.

Ukraine, along with Türkiye and the United Nations, had wanted to extend the deal for 120 days.

Putin said grain exports under the deal had unfairly prioritized "well-fed European markets" rather than African countries and that the renewal of the deal on Russia's terms was in the continent's interests.

"If we decide not to extend this deal after 60 days, then we are ready to supply free of charge the volumes that were sent to the neediest countries in Africa," he told delegates at a Russia-Africa parliamentary conference.

So far, exports under the grain deal have been transported under commercial agreements.

"Let me emphasize that our country has always given – and will continue to give – priority to cooperation with African states," Putin said.

Putin's comments come as Moscow is seeking deeper political, economic and military ties in Africa and Asia as Russia becomes increasingly isolated on the international stage over the conflict in Ukraine.

In a statement posted on its website on Monday, Russia's Foreign Ministry said Moscow had decided to limit the extension of the deal to 60 days over what it called "a lack of progress ... on normalization of domestic agricultural exports."

It said the deal's renewal in May would depend on certain conditions, including the restoration of access to the SWIFT financial messaging system for Russian state-owned agriculture-focused bank Rosselkhozbank, a resumption of farm machinery supplies, and the unblocking of foreign assets and accounts held by Russian agricultural companies.

Though the main destinations for grain shipped under the deal have been China, Spain and Türkiye, African countries have benefited indirectly as increased supply has helped drive down global grain prices.

In its statement, Russia's Foreign Ministry said neither Türkiye nor Ukraine had raised formal objections to the shortened renewal period for the grain deal.

A senior Ukrainian official told Reuters that Kyiv had objected to Moscow's insistence on a 60-day extension.

Western powers have hit Russia with tough sanctions over its actions in Ukraine. While Russian food and fertilizer exports are not under sanctions, Moscow says restrictions on payments, logistics and insurance industries are a barrier to such shipments.