UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres was expected to meet EU leaders on Thursday in Brussels to discuss a crucial grain deal that enables the safe export of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea, amid a continuing war.
The UN and Turkey first brokered the pact with Russia and Ukraine in July last year.
Turkey announced the renewal of the deal on Saturday, but Russia has refused to extend the pact for 120 days as expected, saying it would only allow it to continue for 60 days instead.
The UN is overseeing closed-door negotiations with Russia. Moscow's demands for allowing the deal to continue are in part directed towards Brussels.
“We aren’t in charge of these discussions with Russia but it [the agreement] will probably be discussed with the UN Secretary General,” an EU diplomat said. EU leaders, who are meeting for two days in Brussels on Thursday, are also expected to discuss the war in Ukraine among other topics with Mr Guterres.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Monday laid out its conditions for a further extension of the so-called Black Sea Grain Initiative. They include the restoration of access to the Swift financial messaging system for Russian state-owned agriculture-focused bank Rosselkhozbank, a resumption of farm machinery supplies, and the unblocking of foreign assets and accounts held by Russian agricultural companies.
Russia’s demands come despite the fact that the EU deliberately exempted its agriculture sector from sanctions. Brussels blames Russia for the spike in food insecurity in the world that followed Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine last year. Both Russia and Ukraine are major grain and fertiliser exporters.
Russia made similar requests when the grain deal was renewed in November, but ultimately approved the 120-day rollover, saying it had received reassurance that its concerns would be addressed. Neither the UN nor western countries made such promises publicly.
Russian exports of wheat and certain types of fertilisers increased last year, indicating that exports are not as affected as Moscow claims, analysts previously told The National. Moscow stopped releasing export data after the start of the war.
The EU, as well as the UN, Turkey and Ukraine, wanted the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which expired last Saturday, to be extended for 120 days as laid out in the initial agreement.
But Russia accuses the West of not collaborating with the UN in carrying out a separate agreement, signed on the same day as the grain deal, to enable the export of Russian food and fertilisers to world markets.
Questioned by The National, an EU official declined to disclose details of negotiations with Russia but said the UN was trying to find a compromise.
“Some delegations are very cautious with fertilisers,” they said.
Several countries including Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland opposed the EU’s exemption for fertilisers in the past, arguing that fertiliser companies are linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin and funding of the war in Ukraine.
The EU Commission has set up a system of checks to ensure that sanctioned Russian individuals do not benefit from the exports.
“Transit and payments are possible,” said the EU diplomat, referring to Russian agricultural exports via the EU.
“There might be issues regarding banks that were removed from Swift but that does not mean that payments cannot happen,” they added.
“We can always check if there are elements of friction in some places, but let’s not fall into promoting the narrative that sanctions caused food security issues.”
Blocking the deal would likely prove unpopular in Africa and the Middle East, which rely heavily on Russian and Ukrainian agricultural products.
Speaking at a Russia-Africa parliamentary conference in Moscow on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the renewal of the deal on Moscow's terms was in the continent's interests.
Mr Putin said that if the deal is not renewed, Moscow could supply free grain to “especially needy African countries”, without elaborating. So far, exports under the grain deal have been transported under commercial agreements.
The US on Tuesday pushed back against Russian demands. A US State Department representative said that Russian food and fertiliser exports are tracking with previous years and Ukraine's exports of food are down by more than a third.
“The only prohibitions on food and fertiliser exports from Russia are those imposed by the Government of the Russian Federation,” the representative said. “Russia is the one restricting its exports — it imposed export quotas on certain fertilisers, and recently extended them through the spring.”
Omar Yabroudi's factfile
Born: October 20, 1989, Sharjah
Education: Bachelor of Science and Football, Liverpool John Moores University
2010: Accrington Stanley FC, internship
2010-2012: Crystal Palace, performance analyst with U-18 academy
2012-2015: Barnet FC, first-team performance analyst/head of recruitment
2015-2017: Nottingham Forest, head of recruitment
2018-present: Crystal Palace, player recruitment manager
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7.05pm: Al Rashidiya Group 2 (TB) $250,000 (Turf) 1,800m
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8.15pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,600m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
9.25pm: Al Shindagha Sprint Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m
10pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m
The National selections:
6.30pm - Ziyadd; 7.05pm - Barney Roy; 7.40pm - Dee Ex Bee; 8.15pm - Dubai Legacy; 8.50pm - Good Fortune; 9.25pm - Drafted; 10pm - Simsir
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
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What are the regulations?
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New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The%20Letter%20Writer
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The specs
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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Rating: 1/5
Specs
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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- Premier League-standard football pitch
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- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Pari
Produced by: Clean Slate Films (Anushka Sharma, Karnesh Sharma) & KriArj Entertainment
Director: Prosit Roy
Starring: Anushka Sharma, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Ritabhari Chakraborty, Rajat Kapoor, Mansi Multani
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A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The National selections
Al Ain
5pm: Bolereau
5.30pm: Rich And Famous
6pm: Duc De Faust
6.30pm: Al Thoura
7pm: AF Arrab
7.30pm: Al Jazi
8pm: Futoon
Jebel Ali
1.45pm: AF Kal Noor
2.15pm: Galaxy Road
2.45pm: Dark Thunder
3.15pm: Inverleigh
3.45pm: Bawaasil
4.15pm: Initial
4.45pm: Tafaakhor
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
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Results:
CSIL 2-star 145cm One Round with Jump-Off
1. Alice Debany Clero (USA) on Amareusa S 38.83 seconds
2. Anikka Sande (NOR) For Cash 2 39.09
3. Georgia Tame (GBR) Cash Up 39.42
4. Nadia Taryam (UAE) Askaria 3 39.63
5. Miriam Schneider (GER) Fidelius G 47.74
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
