Russia said on Saturday it was sticking to its conditions for a return to the Black Sea grain deal which it quit in July, reported Reuters. In particular, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia needed its state agricultural bank – and not a subsidiary of the bank, as proposed by the United Nations – to be reconnected to the international SWIFT bank payments system.
“All our conditions are perfectly well known. They do not need interpretation, they are absolutely concrete and all this is absolutely achievable,” Peskov said.
“Therefore Russia maintains its responsible, clear and consistent position, which has been repeatedly voiced by the president.”The Black Sea deal was brokered by Turkey and the United Nations in July 2022 to enable Ukraine to export grain by sea despite the war and help ease a global food crisis.