Russia agrees to renew Ukraine Black Sea grain deal for 60 days

Amfitriti, a bulk carrier part of the Black Sea grain deal, and other commercial vessels wait to pass the Bosphorus strait off the shores of Yenikapi in Istanbul [File: Mehmet Emin Caliskan/Reuters]

Russia has agreed to extend a deal that has allowed Ukraine to ship grain through the Black Sea to parts of the world struggling with hunger, a boost to global food security after the more-than-year-old war drove up prices.

“I want to give good news,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday in a televised speech. “With the efforts of our country, the support of our Russian friends and the contribution of our Ukrainian friends, the Black Sea Grain Initiative has been extended by another two months.”