MOSCOW, July 13 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday Russia was set to withdraw from a deal allowing the export of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea unless its own demands are met, reaffirming Moscow's tough stance ahead of the deal's expiry next Monday. We will immediately rejoin this deal," Putin said. A Kremlin spokesman later clarified that Russia had not taken a final decision on whether to exit the grain deal. The United Nations and Turkey brokered the Black Sea Grain Initiative with Russia and Ukraine in July 2022 to help alleviate a global food crisis that worsened after Moscow sent forces into Ukraine and blockaded Ukrainian ports. To convince Putin to agree to the deal, U.N. officials also agreed to help Russia get its food and fertilizer exports to foreign markets - something Moscow says they have failed to do.

---

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Antonio Guterres, SWIFT, Gareth Jones, David Evans, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Russia, United Nations, Kremlin, United, Reuters, European Union, Russian Agriculture Bank, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Russian, Russia, United Nations, Turkey, Ukraine, Moscow, Ukrainian