No progress has been made to extend the agreement on Ukrainian grain

"The Black Sea Grains Initiative, which was launched last July, allowed the export of Ukrainian grains after it was stopped due to the events in Ukraine.

Grain exports from Ukraine are vital to global food security.

Moscow has repeatedly threatened to block the further validity of the agreement, which has been extended three times, unless obstacles to a parallel agreement on unimpeded Russian food and fertilizer exports are removed.

"So far we don't see any progress," Gennady Gatilov, Russia's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, told reporters.

While these products are not subject to any restrictions by Kyiv's allies, Moscow says the difficulties stem from the impact of secondary sanctions on shipping and insurance companies and banks.

Following a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in New York on Monday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' office said he had written a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin. It sets out the next steps to extend and improve the grain agreement.

During the meeting with the UN Correspondents' Association, Mr. Gatilov said that Moscow welcomes the efforts of the UN and believes that it is trying to do everything it can.

"But what we hear now are just promises," he declared.

"The UN recognizes that there are problems that should be solved," Gatilov said, adding that the organization will hold discussions with Washington, Brussels and other countries.

"I don't know if they will be able to make sufficient progress in the remaining time," he said.

Moscow laid out a list of conditions that would extend the grain deal, including allowing Russia's agricultural bank Rosselkhozbank to rejoin the Swift payment system

Russia is also demanding that the supply of agricultural machinery, spare parts and services be renewed, as well as the removal of barriers preventing Russian ships from obtaining compulsory insurance and entering foreign ports.

Moscow's conditions also include a demand to resume the export of ammonia for fertilizer through an important pipeline that runs through Ukraine.

"Today, we regret to announce that no real progress has been achieved in solving these problems," said G. Gatilov.

The current grain agreement is valid until May 18."