Category: Black Sea Grain Deal

Moscow Gives UN 90 Days to Meet Conditions for Reactivating Grain Deal

Moscow has given the U.N. Secretariat-General three months to meet its conditions for reactivating a year-old agreement that had allowed Ukraine to export grain through the Black Sea. “The U.N. has three months to achieve concrete results,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on July 19. Otherwise, she inferred, the agreement would be considered…


Russia Hits 2 Ukrainian Seaports in Response to Crimea Bridge Attack

Russia has struck multiple targets in two Ukrainian port cities in response to an earlier attack—for which it blames Kyiv—on a bridge linking Crimea to the Russian mainland. “Last night, the Russian Armed Forces delivered multiple retaliatory strikes by seaborne high-precision weapons against sites where terrorist attacks were being plotted,” the Russian Defense Ministry said…


Moscow Announces Withdrawal From Turkey-Brokered Black Sea Grain Deal

Moscow has officially ended its participation in the one-year-old Black Sea Grain Initiative, which had allowed Ukraine to export grain through the Black Sea despite ongoing hostilities. “The Black Sea grain deal is no longer in effect,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on July 17, when the terms of the deal officially expired. “Unfortunately,…


Ukraine’s Zelenskyy Visits Istanbul for Talks With Turkish President

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Istanbul on the evening of July 7, where he held talks with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. It was Mr. Zelenskyy’s first trip to Turkey–a longstanding NATO member–since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine early last year. At a joint press conference held after the talks, Mr. Erdogan noted…


Russia–Ukraine Grain Deal Extended by 120 Days

The Russia–Ukraine grain deal that facilitates export of Ukrainian agricultural exports via Black Sea ports has been extended by 120 days, according to Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United Nations. “I welcome the agreement by all parties to continue the Black Sea Grain Initiative to facilitate the safe navigation of export of grain, foodstuffs and…