Russia is expected to agree to an extension of a wartime deal allowing exports of grain and other farm products from Ukraine through the Black Sea, a report said on Tuesday.
Vital to helping stem disruptions to global food supplies, the initial deal agreed by Russia and Ukraine and brokered by Türkiye and the United Nations is set to expire on Nov. 19 but can be extended if all sides agree.
Russia is likely to allow the deal, which enabled major grain exporter Ukraine to resume exports from ports that had been blocked due to the war, to renew after its expiration, Bloomberg News said on Tuesday, citing four people familiar with the discussions.
The people quoted however did not specify whether Russia would seek to add new conditions in return for the extension or any other details, the report said.
Moscow has complained that a second agreement brokered by the U.N. and Türkiye on its fertilizers being exempt from sanctions had not been respected.
Separately, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres held a lengthy meeting Tuesday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to discuss the Black Sea Grain Initiative, said U.N. Spokesperson Florencia Soto Nino.
Guterres on Monday voiced hope that Russia would extend the deal, saying the arrangement was crucial for food security.
He told reporters that talks over the last week had delivered "a lot of progress" on the pact.
Guterres and Lavrov met on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, during which leaders urged for the "full, timely and continued implementation" of the grain deal.
A U.N spokesperson separately said on Tuesday that the sides are still discussing extending the deal and there is nothing clear to announce now.
"Discussions on the continuation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative with all parties are ongoing at various levels. We do not have something to announce at this stage," said Ismini Palla, U.N. spokesperson for the Black Sea Grain Initiative, in Istanbul.
