Kremlin-Circumstances Not In Favour Of Black Sea Grain Initiative

Wires carrying a comment from Kremlin spox Dmitri Peskov regarding the Black Sea Grain Initiative. States that 'at the moment circumstances are not in favour of this grain deal.' Claims that the ongoing world food price/supply crisis, '...has other origins, [a] lack of Ukrainian and Russian grain was not [a] decisive factor.'

• Goes on to claim that the 'Black Sea grain deal has not been properly implemented', and that 'the conditions affecting Russia were not met'. Adds that 'We continue to watch the situation around the deal.' The deal is set to expire on 18 May.

Comments come as wires also report an unnamed official within Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office stating that the proposal on the Black Sea Grain Initiative from UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres 'can only succeed if the international community collectively pressures Russia.'

• Official denies that Kyiv is using the cover of the Grain Initiative to launch drone attacks, saying that with the allegations Moscow is seeking to discredit Ukraine. The Russian Ministry of Defense has stated that the 24 April attack on the Russian Black Sea Fleet with drones in Sevastopol violated the guarantees and jeopardized the extension of the Black Sea Grain Agreement.