A senior United States official on Friday said the G7 wants Russia to prolong a deal allowing safe passage of grain shipments from Ukraine.
The official disclosed this during the meeting held by the G7 in Germany.
“Everyone agreed on the need to extend the Black Sea grain initiative,” the official said.
The G7’s top diplomats are in the western German city of Muenster for two days of talks, with the war in Ukraine at the top of the agenda.
The official said that the club of nations is “appreciative of the UN’s efforts to convince Russia to extend” the grain deal.
It was reported that grain shipments from Ukraine resumed on Thursday after Russia returned to a deal allowing their safe passage following international pressure.
But according to Moscow, the Country has not decided whether to extend the grain deal beyond November 19-the renewal date written into the original agreement brokered by the UN and Turkey to stave off a global food emergency.
The German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz during a visit to China, also appealed for the deal’s extension.
Scholz on Friday said; “Hunger must not be used as a weapon.”
On Thursday, the G7’s top diplomats accused Russia of systematically destroying civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.
The US official said; “They agreed that there needs to be some sort of a G7 coordinated mechanism to help Ukraine repair, defend and restore its energy and water infrastructure.”
Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba joined the meeting and “provided an update on the devastating attacks… on civilians, energy and water facilities,” the official said.
G7 ministers promised a winter aid package including generators, heaters, container housing, tents, beds, and blankets.
German Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, said Russia had “chosen a new method of warfare by trying to let people starve, die of thirst and freeze to death”.