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Both the US and Russia have signaled their commitment to reviving the stalled grain deal as a potential path toward resolving the Ukraine conflict.
Following a conversation between Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Kremlin announced that Türkiye is prepared to assist in the reactivation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
The original agreement, brokered by the UN and Türkiye in July 2022, aimed to ensure safe passage for Ukrainian agricultural exports to global markets, contingent on the West easing restrictions on Russian grain and fertilizer exports. Russia withdrew from the agreement in 2023, citing unmet Western obligations.
The Kremlin stated that Erdogan “expressed support for dialogue between Russia and the US and reiterated Ankara’s readiness to help facilitate progress on the Black Sea agreement.”
After 12 hours of discussions in Saudi Arabia, US and Russian officials reached an agreement on Monday to restart the initiative. Russia has requested the reconnection of its agricultural bank, Rosselkhozbank, and other entities involved in food and fertilizer sales, to the SWIFT international payments system, as initially agreed upon in the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
Moscow attributed its decision not to renew the agreement in 2023 to the West’s failure to honor this commitment, along with alleged misuse of the arrangement by Kiev for military purposes.
US President Donald Trump stated on Tuesday that his administration is considering easing some sanctions on Moscow.
According to the Kremlin, Moscow and Washington also discussed measures to guarantee safe navigation in the Black Sea, including commitments to avoid the use of force and prevent commercial vessels from being used for military purposes. Proposed actions also involve inspections of ships.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated in an interview with Channel 1 on Tuesday that Moscow would need solid guarantees from the US to renew the deal. Russia’s stance now “is simple: We cannot take anyone’s word at face value,” Lavrov said.
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