Guterres Heads To Ukr For Discussions On Extending Black Sea Grain Deal

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is travelling to Kyiv, Ukraine to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for discussions on the Black Sea grain export deal amid concerns that Russia may challenge renewal of the initiative.

• Guterres spox Stephane Dujarric said: "The Secretary-General has just arrived in Poland on his way to Ukraine," and confirmed that the Secretary-General and Zelensky will discuss the deal, "in all its aspects and other pertinent issues."
• Reuters: "The 120-day deal, initially brokered by the United Nations and Turkey in July and extended in November, will be renewed on March 18 if no party objects. Russia has signalled that obstacles to its own agricultural exports need to be removed before it lets the Ukraine's Black Sea grain deal continue."
• Russia's Foreign Ministry said, "...continuing the package agreement on grain is possible only if the interests of Russian agricultural and fertiliser producers in terms of unhindered access to world markets are taken into account."
• Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on the weekend that Ankara was, "working hard for the smooth implementation and further extension of the Black Sea grain deal."