Russian official says pipeline blast will affect grain talks - RIA

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said on Friday that a blast which damaged an ammonia pipeline between Russia and Ukraine would be taken into account during consultations on the Black Sea grain deal, the RIA news agency reported.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said on Friday that a blast that damaged an ammonia pipeline between Russia and Ukraine would be taken into account during consultations on the Black Sea grain deal, the RIA news agency reported. Russia has repeatedly threatened to quit the deal - which enables Ukraine to export grain via its Black Sea ports - unless a series of its own conditions are met, including restoration of the pipeline between the Russian city of Togliatti and Ukraine's Odesa.

The deal next comes up for renewal on July 17. Russia's ambassador to Turkey was separately quoted on Friday as saying there were no grounds to extend it, but that Moscow was continuing consultations with the United Nations.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)