Ukraine is considered the world's fourth-largest exporter of corn.

The US will not lift sanctions against Russia in order to assist with grain exports from Ukraine, Politico reported citing officials.

Meanwhile, millions of tons of grain remain trapped in Ukraine, stored in silos and at the port of Odessa, causing a dramatic increase in global food prices that is expected to worsen as the war continues. Ukraine is considered the world's fourth-largest exporter of corn and fifth-largest exporter of wheat, and the UN's program to combat food insecurity purchases roughly half of its wheat from Ukraine each year.

One US official claimed that Moscow's calls for sanctions relief in the face of a global food crisis amount to "extortion diplomacy," adding that Washington rejects any grain export agreement that includes easing sanctions on Russia.

Another UN official stressed as quoted by Politico that Moscow's proposals are "complicating" the United Nations' "fragile" negotiations.

US officials are now closely monitoring the negotiations, as well as Russia's separate talks with Turkey about the safe passage of Ukrainian grain, according to the newspaper.

It is worth noting that the West has constantly accused Russia of halting Ukrainian grain exports. Russia has repeatedly denied this claim, emphasizing that seaports will reopen as soon as Ukrainian naval mines are removed.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told the Russian news channel Rossiya 24, on Friday, that there were no obstacles to Ukraine's grain exports.

Ships carrying wheat will be able to leave the Black Sea without incident if Kiev clears mines from Ukrainian ports, he added.

In a phone call last week, Putin told Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi that Russia was willing to make a significant contribution to resolving the global food crisis by exporting grain and fertilizer if the West removed politically-motivated restrictions. The Russian leader also stated that the situation in the food sector has deteriorated as a result of sanctions imposed on Russia by the US and the EU over the war in Ukraine.

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