Turkey is preparing a new plan for Ukrainian grain exports — Reuters
Ankara has developed a new mechanism to ensure the safe passage of Ukrainian agricultural products through the Black Sea, which could help circumvent the Russian blockade. Turkey is already in talks with Ukraine and Russia regarding the implementation of this plan.
For Ukrainian farmers, the restoration of safe maritime routes could become an important source of additional foreign exchange revenue and support the country’s economy amid the war.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan confirmed the seriousness of these intentions during a press conference in Istanbul. According to him, the country is working to create the conditions for a new agreement that would be similar to the previous grain initiative, provided the necessary preconditions are met.
Why the previous agreement fell through and what is known about the background of these events
As a reminder, the Black Sea Grain Initiative was concluded in July 2022 with the mediation of the UN and Turkey. Despite the full-scale war, this mechanism allowed for the safe export of nearly 33 million metric tons of Ukrainian grain, saving the world from a food crisis.
However, in 2023, Russia unilaterally withdrew from the agreement. Moscow, as usual, began blackmailing the world, complaining about allegedly serious obstacles to its own exports of food and fertilizers, in an attempt to negotiate a relaxation of sanctions pressure.
Reuters reports on this.
Turkey is exploring options to launch a new grain corridor in the Black Sea
It is worth recalling that the shutdown of the main terminals in the Azov-Black Sea basin—which account for 88% of Russia’s seaborne grain exports—has caused a sharp drop in purchase prices and disrupted the country’s export plans.
Russian strikes on Ukrainian ports and problems with maritime exports could jeopardize not only this year’s grain shipments but also the 2027 planting season. Due to difficulties in selling their harvest, farmers risk being left without sufficient funds for seeds, fertilizers, fuel, and other necessary resources.
Ukrainian attacks using maritime and aerial drones on the Black Sea ports of Russia, the aggressor state, have significantly disrupted grain and oil shipments. Novorossiysk—Russia’s largest port by cargo turnover, through which up to one-third of Russia’s grain exports pass—has been hit the hardest.
