Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated on Thursday that the proposed Black Sea Initiative represents a new agreement rather than an extension of a previous one.
“This is a new accord, the details of which are currently under discussion,” Zakharova responded to a Reuters inquiry regarding whether the proposed deal was merely an extension of an earlier memorandum of understanding that allowed U.N. officials to assist Russia in exporting food and fertilizers to international markets.
On Tuesday, Russia announced that the United States had agreed to assist in lifting several Western sanctions and restrictions on food, fertilizers, and shipping companies as prerequisites for a maritime security agreement in the Black Sea.
