The West reportedly may loosen anti-Russia sanctions on SWIFT inter-state payments in exchange for a grain-deal extension
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has proposed to Russian President Vladimir Putin that Moscow agree to extend the grain-movement deal in exchange for partial access to the SWIFT international payment system, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing its sources.
The UN-facilitated agreement that provides for the safe export of grain from Ukraine via the Black Sea is set to expire on Monday. Russia said last week that it saw “no grounds” to prolong the deal as it has failed to meet its original goals of steering grain towards poor nations, and as Moscow’s entitlements under the deal have not been met. Russia wanted its agricultural bank Rosselkhozbank reconnected to SWIFT, but an EU spokesperson said in May that lifting the restrictions against the country’s banks was not on the agenda.
Russian exports of food and…
