On Saturday, March 18, the United Nations-backed Black Sea Grain Deal is set to expire, after being implemented amidst the crisis in Ukraine to ensure that a sea transit corridor for food and fertilizer exports from Ukraine and Russia was protected.

Russia is willing to agree to a 60-day extension, while other parties continue to negotiate for a 120 day renewal of the deal that is important for global food security.

The Black Sea Grain Deal ensured that almost 24.6 million tonnes of agricultural products and produce reached their destinations in countries that depend on the shipments.

Ukraine is one of the largest grain exporters in the world, and prior to Russia’s special military operation was exporting around 45 million tonnes of grain to the global market.

China (5.4 million tonnes), Spain (4.3 million tonnes) and Türkiye (2.7 million tonnes), Italy and the Netherlands have received the bulk of the grain shipments.  

At the start of Russia’s special military operation, its vessels blockaded Ukrainian ports, stopping the flow of almost 20 million tonnes of grain.  The UN says prices of staple foods rose in Middle Eastern and African regions by an average of 30%.

The UN is pushing for a 120 day extension of the agreement to keep global grain prices at bay, yet Russia has said it will only extend the pact for 60 days.

Three ports are involved in the deal: Odessa, Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi and have the combined capacity to ship out around 3 million tonnes per month.

Ukraine said it would also like to include the port of Mykolaiv in the deal, which would allow for a much larger quantity of grains and oilseeds to be exported.

“The deal is being extended for 60 days,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters on Thursday. The difference in the Russian and UN interpretation of the duration of the deal “may simply be a display of incompetence,” she said.

China’s foreign ministry said China hopes the deal can be implemented in a balanced and comprehensive manner, and would like to strengthen communication with all parties and advance global security.

Türkiye on Wednesday said that it would continue talks to extend the initiative for another 120 days rather than 60 days.

Russia has said it opposes the expansion of the deal until concrete steps are taken to unblock its own agricultural exports.

Russia’s agricultural exports have not directly been targeted by international sanctions, but Moscow says blocks on its payments, logistics and insurance industries have halted exports of its grains and fertilizers.

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