UN’s Guterres Visits Kyiv as Crop-Export Deal Talks Continue

Extension of Black Sea Grain Initiative is yet to be confirmed
UN Secretary-General stresses importance of renewing deal

Volodymyr Zelenskiy, right, and Antonio Guterres in Kyiv on March 8.Photographer: Sergei Supinsky/AFP/Getty Images

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By Olesia Safronova and Megan Durisin Albery

March 8, 2023 at 1:31 PM UTC

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United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed the importance of renewing the key Black Sea grain deal during a visit to Kyiv, with the current accord soon set to expire.

The latest 120-day run of the Black Sea Grain Initiative — which has enabled the shipment of more than 20 million tons of Ukrainian crops since it was agreed in July — ends on March 18. It can be extended if no sides seek to terminate or modify it, though a renewal is yet to be confirmed.