'Impossible' to extend grain deal under current conditions - speaker of Russia's upper house

It is "impossible" to extend the Black Sea grain deal under current circumstances, the speaker of Russia's upper house of parliament, Valentina Matviyenko, said on Friday, according to Interfax news agency.

Matiyenko, speaking on the sidelines of an economic forum in St Petersburg, said "the limits of our patience... have been exhausted", echoing comments made earlier this week by President Vladimir Putin and other senior Russian officials.

However she also said it would be important to avoid exacerbating a food crisis for poorer countries. The Black Sea deal allows for the safe export of grain and other products from Ukraine's ports.