UN and Russia hold talks on extending wartime grain deal

The deal is critical because Ukraine and Russia are major suppliers of wheat, barley, sunflower oil and other food, especially to parts of Africa, the Middle East and Asia where many people are already going hungry and food prices have surged.

Cargo ships anchored in the Marmara Sea wait to cross the Bosphorus Straits in Istanbul, Turkey (Khalil Hamra/AP)

Top Russian and UN officials have held talks in Switzerland to try to iron out the extension of a deal allowing Ukrainian grain shipments and Russian food and fertiliser exports – with just over a week left before the wartime agreement meant to ease a global food crisis is set to expire.

UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths and UN trade chief Rebeca Grynspan, who has been in charge of the Russian side of the agreement, were meeting in Geneva with a Russian team led by deputy foreign minister Sergei Vershinin.