The Ukrainian Black Sea safe-transit deal, which facilitated the export of millions of tons of grain over the past year, is set to expire today. The possibility of the deal’s extension is hanging by a thread. Turkish president Erdogan conveyed to reporters his hope that a letter sent to Putin by UN secretary-general Guterres this week would help secure the pact’s extension. Russia has not made a statement regarding the deal’s extension yet, with Putin revealing that he’s still deliberating. Moscow has frequently criticized the pact as being biased against its interests.