The United Nations (UN) has proposed that a subsidiary of Russia’s Agricultural Bank in Luxembourg could apply to SWIFT to gain access to the international payments system within 30 days. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres outlined this proposal to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on August 28 as part of efforts to improve Russia’s grain and fertilizer exports.
The UN aims to convince Russia to return to a deal that had allowed the safe Black Sea export of Ukrainian grain. However, the Russian Foreign Ministry expressed skepticism about the UN’s proposals, stating that they do not contain any new elements and cannot lead to tangible progress in restoring agricultural exports.
The proposal highlights ongoing efforts to balance economic sanctions with humanitarian concerns and economic cooperation in international relations.
