MOSCOW, March 8 Volodymyr Zelensky met with UN Secretary General António Guterres, Zelensky's press service said.
Guterres arrived in Kiev on Wednesday, where he planned to discuss a grain deal with Zelensky. Secretary General of the United Nations António Guterres and the UN delegation,» Zelensky's Telegram channel said.
Zelensky said that the parties discussed the grain deal, its extension and expansion, as well as the exchange of prisoners. The details of the meeting have not yet been published.
The grain deal, which was signed on July 22, 2022 by representatives of Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and the UN, involves the export of Ukrainian grain, food and fertilizer across the Black Sea from three ports, including Odessa. The Joint Coordinating Center (JCC) in Istanbul is responsible for coordinating the movement of ships. The contract expired on November 18, 2022, but meant an automatic extension for 120 days until March 18, if either party did not object. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that «no such objections were received,» at the same time noting that the Russian side allows a technical extension of the «Black Sea initiative» for the export of Ukrainian grain without any changes in terms and scope.
The grain deal itself is an integral part of the package agreement, which, among other things, provides for the unblocking of Russian exports of food and fertilizers, Moscow noted that this was precisely what was not implemented. At the same time, there were assurances from the UN that the restrictions would be lifted.
From February 24, 2022, Russia has been conducting a military special operation in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin called its task «the protection of people who have been subjected to bullying and genocide by the Kyiv regime for eight years.» According to the president, the ultimate goal of the operation is the liberation of Donbass and the creation of conditions that guarantee Russia's security.