The Kremlin on Thursday (May 18) confirmed that Russia had renewed the Black Sea grain deal for two months after achieving some results in talks which had given it “certain hopes”, but said more progress had to be made to advance its own interests.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan announced the extension in a televised speech on Wednesday and it was later confirmed by Russia, Ukraine and the United Nations.

The UN and Türkiye brokered the agreement – which allows Ukraine to export grain from Black Sea ports – for an initial 120 days in July last year to help tackle a global food crisis that has been aggravated by Russia’s war in Ukraine, something it calls “a special military operation”.