The Kremlin is warning of "risks" for parties that consider continuing the "grain deal" without Russia's participation.

According to Interfax, Dmitry Peskov, the spokesperson for the Russian President, commented on Ukraine's proposal to Türkiye to extend the "grain deal" without Russia. He stated that if something is being formalised without Russia, the associated risks must be taken into account. He mentioned that the region in question is directly adjacent to the area of hostilities, and without adequate security guarantees, there are certain risks involved.

Regarding US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's statement, who called Russia's decision to exit the "grain deal" irresponsible, Peskov pointed out that the blame should not be placed on UN Secretary-General Guterres. He also expressed appreciation for Guterres' role in reaching this agreement and trying to persuade European countries to fulfill their commitments, but unfortunately, this did not happen. Peskov criticised European countries for their position and used the term "irresponsible" to describe it.

Furthermore, Peskov mentioned that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not plan to communicate with Turkish President Erdoğan about the "grain deal" at the moment.

Previously, Ukraine reached out to Türkiye and the UN with a proposal to continue the operation of the "grain corridor" within the framework of the Black Sea Grain Initiative without Russia, which withdrew from the agreements on Monday.

Earlier, Dmitry Peskov announced on July 17 Russia's withdrawal from shipping safety guarantees within the framework of the Black Sea Grain Initiative. There were reports that the EU had considered making concessions to a Russian bank for the sake of the grain deal, specifically by setting up a subsidiary of the sanctioned Russian Rosselkhozbank (Agricultural Bank) to restore its connection with SWIFT.