A cargo vessel carrying Ukrainian grain sails on Bosphorus to Marmara sea, in Istanbul, on November 2, 2022 (Photo: AFP/ VNA)

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented on Ukraine's proposal to Turkey to extend the grain deal without Russia. He said that the Black Sea Grain Initiative's routes are very close to the area of combat activities, where without appropriate guarantees, certain risks arise.

Therefore, if something is to be drafted without Russia, then these risks should be taken into account. He said it was an “obvious fact” that the waters used by grain ships were also used by Kyiv for military purposes, something Ukraine has denied.

The Turkey and United Nations-brokered Black Sea grain initiative was first agreed in July, 2022, to ease a global food crisis due to the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Under the initiative, the UN and Russia signed a Memorandum of Understanding on promoting Russian food products and fertilizers to world markets and Ukraine reached an agreement with Turkey and the UN on exporting its grain and other food items from Ukraine through the Black Sea.

The initiative has been expanded three times and expired on Monday.