"The black sea grain initiative has been instrumental in bringing down global food prices and it needs to run at its full potential," Skoog said.
Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia said during the same meeting that if the US and the EU sincerely want the Black Sea Grain Initiative to be further extended, they have two months to lift the sanctions regime imposed on Russia’s agricultural sector.
"If Brussels, Washington and London are genuinely interested to continue the export of food from Ukraine through the maritime humanitarian corridor then they have two months to exempt from their sanctions the entire chain of operations which accompany the Russian agricultural sector," Russian ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia, told the UN Security Council on Friday.
The grain deal was brokered by the UN and Turkiye between Russia and Ukraine in July 2022 to facilitate exports of grain and fertilizer from Black Sea ports amid hostilities. It was renewed for 120 days in November 2022 and would be due to automatically renew for another 120 days on March 18 unless either of the signatories object. Russia said on Monday it did not mind extending the deal but only for 60 days, which was confirmed by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Friday.