Kremlin says conditions not ripe for grain deal extension

Circumstances are not yet in favor of extending the Black Sea grain export deal, the Kremlin said Tuesday after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the issue.

So much time has passed but the part of the deal regarding the export of Russian agricultural products and fertilizers has not been implemented, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a daily briefing.

He said that the deal, formally known as the Black Sea Grain Initiative, has "a package nature" and Russia will continue to monitor its implementation.