Posted on May, 4, 2023 at 12:02 am
U.S. bank JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) could process another 40 Russian grain export payments, two sources said, as the United Nations seeks to save a deal allowing safe Black Sea exports of Ukrainian grain that Moscow has threatened to quit on May 18.
Reuters reported last week that JPMorgan had processed the first payment for the Russian Agricultural Bank, which was cut off from the SWIFT payment system by the European Union in June over Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Access to SWIFT for the Russian Agricultural Bank, known as Rosselkhozbank, is a key Russian demand in talks over the future of the Black Sea deal, brokered by the U.N. and Turkey in July last year.
Russia has signalled that unless a list of demands is met to remove obstacles to its grain and fertiliser exports, it will not agree to extend beyond May 18 the Black Sea pact, which the U.N. says helps tackle a global food crisis that has been aggravated by Moscow's war in Ukraine.
Talks between Russia and the U.N. on the Black Sea deal are expected to be held in Moscow on Friday, with the U.N. represented by top trade official Rebeca Grynspan.
Access to SWIFT for the Russian Agricultural Bank, known as Rosselkhozbank, is a key Russian demand in talks over the future of the Black Sea deal, brokered by the U.N. and Turkey in July last year.
Russia has signalled that unless a list of demands is met to remove obstacles to its grain and fertiliser exports, it will not agree to extend beyond May 18 the Black Sea pact, which the U.N. says helps tackle a global food crisis that has been aggravated by Moscow's war in Ukraine.
Talks between Russia and the U.N. on the Black Sea deal are expected to be held in Moscow on Friday, with the U.N. represented by top trade official Rebeca Grynspan.
According to a document seen by Reuters that lists the United Nations' efforts, the U.N. is now working with the Rosselkhozbank to prepare about 40 additional payments to be processed by JPMorgan. The document also said the U.N. was discussing Russian fertiliser exports with JPMorgan.
A source familiar with discussions said JPMorgan understood it could be asked to process another 40 payments for Rosselkhozbank and that it was ready to do so to help combat the global food crisis. The source said JPMorgan was also talking to the U.N. about Russian fertiliser exports.
JPMorgan had been asked to help by the U.S. government, said the source.
A JPMorgan spokesperson declined to comment. A spokesperson for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres declined to comment. The U.S. Treasury and Rosselkhozbank did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Source: Reuters