Kremlin-Ammonia Pipeline Blast Affects Black Sea Grain Deal

Flurry of comments from Kremlin spox Dmitri Peskov hitting wires. On the explosion on the Tolyatti-Odessa ammonia fertiliser pipeline, says that 'It is yet another complicating matter' and that 'It can only have a negative impact' given that, 'This was an integral part of the Black Sea Grain deal'.

• Talks on continuing the deal, which provides for the export of grain and fertiliser from Black Sea ports in Russia and Ukraine, are set to begin on 9 June in Geneva. If no agreement is reached, the deal expires 17 July.
• If grain exports from the Black Sea are lost, it would risk major shortages in MENA. It would also act to sustain already-high food price inflation in Europe, impacting central banks' monetary policy decisions.
• In a change from 2022, Peskov confirms that President Vladimir Putin will hold a 'big press conference' at the end of the year. Last year's multi-hour presser was cancelled amid Russian forces' inability to push back Ukrainian defenders following the February invasion.
• Following WaPo reportalleging that the US had knowledge of a Ukrainian plot to sabotage the Nord Stream gas pipeline, Peskov states that 'We have already said the Anglo-Saxons were involved'.