US presses, but Russia reluctant on Ukraine grain deal

By SAM MEDNICK
Associated press

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations has told Ukrainian farmers that extending a wartime deal to export Ukrainian grains across the Black Sea is a priority for the U.N. The agreement, which Russia and Ukraine signed separately with the U.N. and Turkey, is set to expire on Nov. 19. A Russian diplomat on Tuesday cited Moscow’s dissatisfaction with the deal, saying it has not helped Russia export enough of its goods. Speaking to farmers at a grain storage facility in Kyiv, U.S. ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said she saw Ukraine “as the breadbasket of the world.” Russia’s deputy foreign minister says the Kremlin has not yet decided whether to extend its grain deal with Turkey and the U.N.