Germany expects Black Sea grain export deal in coming weeks

An agreement on facilitating grain exports from Ukraine and Russia through the Black Sea could be reached in the coming weeks. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said this in an interview with ZDF on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Atlanta.

According to Wadephul, ensuring the unhindered transportation of grain to countries of the Global South was one of the central issues discussed at the talks. He stressed that while these arrangements would not resolve the war in Ukraine as a whole, a mechanism must be found to restore stable grain shipments through the Black Sea.

The German minister said he had no intention of easing diplomatic efforts and believed that concrete progress could be achieved on the issue in the coming weeks. The topic of maritime grain exports was also discussed by other participants at the G20 meeting.

At the same time, Wadephul emphasized that the G20 meeting was one of the few opportunities to persuade Russia to cease hostilities and begin negotiations on ending its war against Ukraine. He stressed the need for dialogue with Moscow despite fundamental disagreements and explained that Western ministers had declined to take a joint group photo with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to avoid creating the impression of unity with Russia.

According to Wadephul, European countries maintain a common position on supporting Ukraine and increasing pressure on Russia. He also noted that economic pressure on Moscow and the lack of significant Russian military advances create opportunities for diplomatic progress towards ending the war.

Tags: export, Black Sea region, wheat, Germany, Ukraine, Russia