President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that nothing had been done to meet Russian demands around a deal that allowed Ukraine to export grain through the Black Sea.
“I want to emphasize that nothing was done, nothing at all. It’s all one-sided,” Putin said in a televised interview.
In July 2022, the agreement allowing Ukrainian grain exports to restart was signed, as well as a parallel memorandum on unhindered Russian food and fertilizer exports.
The grain deal is due to expire on July 18 unless Russia agrees to extend it.
Moscow however has repeatedly threatened to pull out of it because of enduring obstacles to its own exports.
“We will think about what to do, we have a few more days,” he said.
“We will extend… when promises given to us are fulfilled,” Putin said.
The Russian leader added he was ready to wait “as long as it takes.”
On Wednesday Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan — who helped broker the deal — said he was working with Moscow and Kyiv to salvage the agreement.
It has so far allowed Ukraine to export more than 32 million tons of grain and foodstuffs from Black Sea ports.
Ukrainian officials said that Russian attack drones had targeted grain facilities at one of the ports this week.
