United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths said on Monday that efforts to reach an agreement to extend the Black Sea grain initiative will "continue and focus in the coming days" following "intensive discussions" in recent weeks. He said the UN noted a reduction in the volumes of exports moving out of Ukraine's Black Sea ports "due to challenging dynamics within the joint coordination center" over the past month.
Griffiths reiterated that the continuation of the grain deal is "critically important, as is recommitment by the parties to its smooth and efficient operation." However, Russia has so far refused to agree to extend the deal until its conditions are met.
