The Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres said on Monday that he was concerned that Russia would next month terminate the agreement that allows the safe export of wartime grain and fertilizer from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports.

“I am concerned and we are working hard to ensure that it will be possible to maintain the Black Sea initiative and at the same time that we will be able to continue our work to facilitate Russian exports,” Guterres told reporters.

Moscow threatens to withdraw from the deal known as the Black Sea Grain Initiative – brokered by the United Nations and Turkey in July last year – if obstacles to its own grain and fertilizer shipments are not removed.

To persuade Russia to agree to the Black Sea grain deal, a three-year memorandum of understanding was signed at the same time, under which UN officials agreed to help Russia with its own food and fertilizer exports.

While Russian food and fertilizer exports are not subject to Western sanctions imposed after the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Moscow says restrictions on payments, the supply chain and insurance have hampered shipments.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin said on Saturday that Russia cannot be satisfied with the way this memorandum is being implemented,” TASS news agency reported, citing his remarks after a meeting he had on Friday in Geneva with the official on issues UN Trade Representative Rebecca Greenspan.

Among Russia’s demands are the resumption of ammonia exports via a pipeline to Ukraine’s Pyvtnenyi port and the reconnection of the Russian Agricultural Bank (Rosselkhozbank) withwith the SWIFT international payment system.

The United Nations has helped boost Russian food and fertilizer exports by facilitating a steady flow of ships to its ports and reducing freight and insurance fees, a UN spokesman said on Friday.