The U.S. is not ready to ease anti-Russian sanctions in exchange for the resumption of grain exports through the Black Sea, Politico reported, citing officials from President Joe Biden’s administration.

The U.S. is closely monitoring talks on resuming grain exports across the Black Sea that the U.N. and Turkey have been holding with Russia. One U.S. official who spoke to the newspaper said the U.S. would not agree to a deal that would “weaken any economic pressure” on Moscow.

The unnamed UN official also said that linking grain exports to the lifting of sanctions on Russia, “complicates” the “fragile” negotiations.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin called bluff claims that Russia was keeping Ukrainian grain out of its ports.

“This is a bluff,” Putin said in an interview with the host of the program “Moscow. Kremlin. Putin” to Pavel Zarubin (Russia-1 television channel VGTRK), reacting to the allegations in question.

He noted that the world produces approximately 800 million tons of wheat per year, and Ukraine exported 20 million tons, a minuscule percentage.

“20 million tons of Ukrainian wheat is a potential export. As of today and U.S. officials say that today Ukraine could export 6 million tons of wheat. According to our Ministry of Agriculture, it’s not six, but about five million tons. Let’s say six. And, this is the data of our Ministry of Agriculture, – seven million tons of corn. We realize that this is not much,” the Russian president said.

He rejected accusations that Russia was hindering the export of Ukrainian grain, citing several options of how this could be done.