Russia refuses to return to the grain deal and the Black Sea ceasefire

Russia does not consider it appropriate to return to the model of the Black Sea Grain Initiative that operated in 2022–2023. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova made the statement while commenting on a proposal to introduce a moratorium on hostilities in the Black Sea.

According to Zakharova, Moscow has not received an official proposal from Turkey outlining specific terms for the proposed moratorium. At the same time, she said that if the proposal involves returning to a mechanism similar to the 2022–2023 grain deal, Russia considers such an option inappropriate.

The Russian Foreign Ministry argues that under the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Russia agreed to a maritime moratorium in exchange for ensuring access for Russian agricultural products to global markets. Moscow claims that this part of the agreement was not fulfilled and is using this as an argument against returning to the previous format of the grain deal.

Moscow has effectively also rejected the possibility of a separate Black Sea ceasefire. Zakharova said Russia sees no grounds for agreeing to such a moratorium. The statement also represents a response to Ukraine’s initiative, under which Kyiv proposed through a third party that Russia halt mutual strikes on civilian facilities in the Black Sea. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan had previously said that Ankara had also proposed a moratorium on hostilities in the Black Sea.

Shipping security has become an increasingly pressing issue following intensified strikes on ports and vessels, which are already disrupting grain exports from both Ukraine and Russia. Due to the effective blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, Ukrainian grain exports in August fell by 76% compared with the same period last year. Meanwhile, strikes on Novorossiysk damaged and halted operations at Russia’s largest grain terminals. Both countries have limited capacity to quickly redirect substantial volumes to alternative routes, increasing the risk of further disruptions to grain supplies from the Black Sea region.

At the same time, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov rejected the possibility of halting hostilities along the current line of contact in Ukraine. The latest statements therefore indicate that Moscow is currently prepared neither to return to the Black Sea grain deal format nor to agree to the proposed ceasefire in the Black Sea.

Tags: Ukraine, grain, war, Black Sea grain deal