"Negotiations on expanding the grain deal between Russia and Ukraine have reached a deadlock."

An agreement on expanding the grain deal is still not possible as Russia and Ukraine insist on different options, according to a source familiar with the details of the negotiations, as reported by the TASS news agency.

According to the source, Ukraine is primarily interested in expanding the number of ports from which agricultural products are exported. This includes ports in the Nikolaev region, including Ochakov.

During the negotiations, Russia insists on reconnecting Rosselkhozbank to the SWIFT network, however, the parties cannot reach an agreement on this issue. Western countries fear that the bank will be used not only for agricultural operations. Additionally, Ukraine opposes the idea of exporting Russian ammonia fertilizers via the Tolyatti-Odessa pipeline due to political considerations and fear of a negative reaction within the country.

In this situation, it is expected that the deal will be extended under the current conditions, and negotiations on its expansion will continue in the coming months.

The grain deal does not contain mechanisms for extension, so it will continue to be valid after March 18 if neither party objects.

"If the parties do not object, the deal will be valid after March 18," the source replied when asked about the need to formalize the extension of the deal.

The source explained that in this case, the deal would continue to be in effect in the same form, without changes or additions. He added that the duration of the extension (60 or 120 days) is not particularly important. "If the deal is extended for 60 days, it will be valid after March 18, and after 60 days, one of the parties may raise the issue of its termination," the source emphasized.

The source also noted that neither party has announced their intention to exit the agreement at this time.