Turkey and UN set up new Russia-Ukraine talks on Black Sea truce
Turkey and the United Nations have arranged fresh talks between Russia and Ukraine on a Black Sea ceasefire, as wheat prices rise and grain shipments remain at risk.
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Turkey and the United Nations have set up new talks between Russia and Ukraine on a Black Sea ceasefire, aiming to bring together separate efforts to protect grain shipments as global food prices rise, Bloomberg reported. The meetings are expected to take place in early October, a senior diplomat told the news agency.
Envoys from the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, a Swiss non-governmental organisation, will mediate the talks, according to the diplomat. The initiative launched in September and aims to revive the kind of deal that secured safe passage for Ukrainian grain shipments in 2022, before Russia withdrew from that arrangement in July 2023 following an explosion on the Kerch bridge, Bloomberg and NV reported.
Russia and Ukraine between them account for more than a quarter of global wheat shipments, and increased attacks on each other's Black Sea port facilities have helped push wheat futures to a three-year high in August, Bloomberg reported.
A closed-door meeting to launch the initiative was held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in late September, with officials from Turkey, the United States, Europe, India and Egypt attending, according to Bloomberg. Participants discussed a narrow, reciprocal arrangement covering free commercial navigation and protection of ports and energy infrastructure, a document seen by the news agency showed.
Ukraine's agriculture minister, Taras Vysotskyi, said on 28 September that Ukraine does not expect a maritime truce that would restore grain exports through the Black Sea any time soon, adding that partners had told Ukraine that Russia had rejected all previous ceasefire proposals for the sea, NV reported. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on 19 September that Turkey had sent both countries proposals to halt attacks in the Black Sea, including on port infrastructure.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the Valdai Discussion Club forum on Thursday that a proposal to halt strikes on ships in exchange for an end to Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries was absurd, NV reported. Russia has set tough conditions for any new Black Sea deal, including sanctions relief and military concessions from Ukraine, and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in September that returning to the 2022 arrangement was completely unacceptable and unrealistic.
What we know
- Turkey and the UN have arranged fresh Russia-Ukraine talks on a Black Sea ceasefire, expected in early October, Bloomberg reported.
- Envoys from the Swiss NGO Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue will mediate; the initiative aims to revive the 2022 Black Sea grain arrangement.
- Russia withdrew from the 2022 deal in July 2023 after an explosion on the Kerch bridge.
- Wheat futures hit a three-year high in August as attacks on Black Sea port facilities increased.
- Ukraine's agriculture minister said on 28 September Russia had rejected all previous Black Sea ceasefire proposals.
- Putin called a proposal to halt ship strikes in exchange for ending Ukrainian refinery attacks absurd, speaking at the Valdai forum.
Why it matters for Europe
Russian strikes on Ukrainian port infrastructure since July have at times halted ship calls at Ukrainian ports altogether, according to Vysotskyi, and the resulting disruption has contributed to wheat prices climbing to a three-year high. Egypt, a major importer of Black Sea grain, was among the countries represented at the September UN meeting, reflecting how the dispute reaches well beyond Russia and Ukraine into global food markets.
Sources
Reported by 3 reports from 3 independent outlets in 3 countries.
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Questions and answers
- What is being arranged?
- Turkey and the UN have set up fresh talks between Russia and Ukraine on a Black Sea ceasefire, expected to take place in early October.
- Why did the original 2022 deal collapse?
- Russia withdrew from the original Black Sea grain arrangement in July 2023 after an explosion on the Kerch bridge.
- What is Russia asking for in return?
- Russia has demanded sanctions relief and military concessions from Ukraine, and President Putin called a proposal to halt ship strikes in exchange for stopping Ukrainian refinery attacks absurd.
This article was written with AI assistance from 2 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.