Russia warns West: we may work around the Black Sea grain deal

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov chat as they arrive at a meeting in Ankara, Turkey April 7, 2023. REUTERS/Cagla Gurdogan

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia warned the West on Friday that unless obstacles to its exports of grain and fertilisers were removed, then Ukraine would have to export grain over land and Moscow would work outside the UN-brokered landmark grain export deal.

The Black Sea grain deal is an attempt by the United Nations to ease a food crisis that predated the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but was made worse by the most deadly war in Europe since World War Two.