Russia said on May 16 it was still undecided on the extension of a landmark grain export deal with Ukraine, brokered by the UN and Turkey and due to expire on May 18. "There are a lot of unanswered questions regarding our part of the deal...now we have to make a decision," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. In July, an agreement allowing Ukrainian grain exports to restart was signed, as well as a parallel memorandum on unhindered Russian food and fertilizer exports. Russia has repeatedly threatened to withdraw from the deal, claiming that obstacles remain to its own food exports.
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