Title: Turkish President Urges Resolution to Suspended Black Sea Grain Initiative, Putin Considers Reviving Deal
Subtitle: Russian-Ukrainian agricultural agreement holds potential for easing tensions and stabilizing global food security
Date: September 5, 2023
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Monday that a resolution to the suspended Black Sea Grain Initiative could be reached “in a short time” following a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The initiative, which was brokered in July 2022 by Turkey, the United Nations, Ukraine, and Russia, aimed to alleviate tensions in the region by establishing a humanitarian corridor for agricultural exports.
“We believe that we will reach a solution that will meet the expectations in a short time,” President Erdogan stated during a press briefing in Sochi, a resort town on the Black Sea, according to a Reuters report. To achieve progress, Erdogan emphasized the need for Ukraine to soften its approach and adopt a more cooperative stance towards Russia.
President Putin expressed his willingness to consider reviving the grain deal on the condition that Russian agricultural products are fully implemented in the new agreement. During the bilateral meeting, he blamed Western governments for exacerbating the global food security crisis following Russia’s exit from the Black Sea grain deal and denied that there was a physical shortage of food or a rise in prices.
Under the Black Sea Grain Initiative, over 1,000 ships transported nearly 33 million metric tons of Ukrainian wheat, barley, corn, and sunflower meal from three ports on the Black Sea to various global destinations. The deal also facilitated the transportation of 725,167 tons of wheat on World Food Program ships to countries facing severe food insecurity, such as Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
Russia’s departure from the agricultural agreement, nearly a year after it was signed in Istanbul, resulted in missile strikes on Ukrainian ports and agricultural facilities, leading to a three-day spike in wheat prices. In addition, a recent unclassified report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence revealed that Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has disrupted global food security, causing higher prices and political instability in vulnerable countries. The report estimated that Russian forces stole approximately 6 million tons of Ukrainian wheat for export.
The potential revival of the Black Sea Grain Initiative holds promise for easing tensions between Russia and Ukraine and stabilizing global food security. Further negotiations and cooperation between the involved parties will be critical in reaching a resolution that benefits all stakeholders and ensures the continued flow of agricultural products in the region.