Russia greenlights reviving the Black Sea Grain Initiative amid ceasefire talks

RUSSIA – Russia has expressed interest in resuming the Black Sea Grain Initiative as part of ongoing discussions with the United States regarding a potential ceasefire with Ukraine.

According to the World Grain, citing a Reuters report, the talks took place on March 24 in Saudi Arabia.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative, originally brokered by the United Nations and Turkey in the summer of 2022, facilitated the safe passage of Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea amidst the ongoing war.

The agreement followed a five-month blockade of Ukraine’s sea ports after the Russian invasion began in February 2022. However, Russia withdrew from the deal in the summer of 2023, citing unfulfilled obligations and restrictions on its own agricultural exports.

Since Russia’s withdrawal, Ukraine has managed to continue grain exports by utilizing an alternative sea route along the western Black Sea coastline near NATO-member states such as Bulgaria and Romania.

Additionally, Ukraine has expanded its international shipments through river, rail, and road transport. Despite these adaptations, the region remains vulnerable to military confrontations and logistical challenges.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on March 24 that transportation safety remains a crucial issue in discussions about reinstating the initiative.

“This is primarily about the safety of navigation, but if you remember the initiative in its previous form, there were a large number of obligations to our country that were not fulfilled last time,” Peskov told reporters, as quoted by Reuters.

Russia has long argued that restrictions on payments, logistics, and insurance have hindered its food and fertilizer exports, despite these goods not being directly subjected to Western sanctions.

The Russian government has demanded the lifting of restrictions on its agricultural bank, the restoration of key trade routes, and the unfreezing of assets related to food exports.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s grain export infrastructure has suffered extensive damage due to Russian attacks.

According to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, by November 2024, more than 300 port infrastructure facilities had been damaged, along with 23 civilian vessels, and over 100,000 tonnes of agricultural products destroyed.

Before the war, Ukraine was a major global grain supplier, exporting over 60 million tonnes annually, accounting for about 10% of the world’s grain market, according to the US Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).

Despite Russia’s withdrawal from the grain deal, Ukraine’s alternative shipping routes helped it approach pre-war export levels in 2023-24, with 29.4 million tonnes of corn and 18.5 million tonnes of wheat exported—the third highest levels on record.

However, projections indicate that exports are expected to decline this year due to lower crop production and depleted grain reserves accumulated during the war.

 Sign up to HERE receive our email newsletters with the latest news and insights from Africa and around the world, and follow us on our WhatsApp channel for updates.