Russia denies refusing to speak at UN Security Council meeting on grain deal

Russia denied Wednesday that it refused to address a UN Security Council meeting on the Black Sea Grain Initiative, to which Moscow announced it had suspended its participation on July 17.

"I would like to draw attention to the false allegation that Russia refused to speak on the grain deal at the UN Security Council meeting," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Telegram.

Zakharova said that Russia will "definitely speak" on the grain deal, while confirming that its representative at the UN refused to speak on "the West's fabricated topic of Russia's alleged destruction of cultural landmarks in Odessa, in part because of the non-admission of the rapporteur we announced."

"He will make a special statement on this issue at the Russia-initiated UN Security Council meeting on the harassment of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine," Zakharova added.

"Be attentive. Don't fall for fakes."