Russia wants the West to lift (or ease) sanctions against its state bank Rosselkhozbank. In exchange for this, they will agree to extend the "grain agreement".
Reuters writes about this with reference to its own sources.
The agreement expires on November 19, and Russia is being asked to extend it. The Russian Federation did not publicly announce a request to lift sanctions from the state bank, but there were other demands: to unblock Russian fertilizers stuck in Western ports, as well as to grant permission for the resumption of ammonia exports.
The lifting of sanctions against Rosselkhozbank will allow it to process payments for Russian grain and other agricultural products. Russia continues to assert that the imposed sanctions make it difficult for it to export grain and fertilizers, as well as process payments for them.
The publicationʼs sources at the UN note that the possibility of lifting sanctions against the bank is being discussed with the EU and other Western countries.
- On October 29, Russia announced its withdrawal from the "grain agreement". She cited the attack of drones on a ship of the Black Sea Fleet in the Sevastopol Bay as the reason.
- Due to Russiaʼs withdrawal from the "grain agreement", 218 cargo ships were stranded. On October 31, the UN, Turkey and Ukraine agreed on a transit plan for 16 ships. The President of Turkey stated that his country will make all possible efforts to continue the export of grain from the Black Sea ports of Ukraine, despite the withdrawal of Russia.
- The Russian Ministry of Defense said that Ukraine used the route through which ships leave Ukrainian ports to attack Sevastopol. At the same time, the UN assures that there were no ships in the "grain corridor" during the explosions in Sevastopol.