Ukraine will start working on a new temporary maritime route for secure grain supplies after Russia quit the Black Sea Initiative, Reuters reported Wednesday citing a letter submitted to UN shipping agency, the International Shipping Organization, by Ukraine's acting minister for communities, territories and infrastructure development Vasily Shkurakov.
In a letter dated July 18 Ukraine said that it had "decided to establish on a temporary basis a recommended maritime route," the agency said. "Its goal is to facilitate the unblocking of international shipping in the north-western part of the Black Sea," Shkurakov said. The additional traffic route would lead to the territorial waters and exclusive maritime economic zone of Romania, according to the letter.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said on July 17 that he had sent official letters to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, suggesting to continue the grain deal without Russia's participation or conclude a similar agreement in a three-party format. The grain deal was terminated on July 17. After extending the agreement on the Black Sea corridor for vessels carrying Ukrainian grain in July 2022 several times, Russia noted that the part of the deal concerning it - the removal of obstacles for agricultural exports - was never fulfilled. Moscow also emphasized that though the agreements were aimed at delivering food to the poorest countries, the main portion of Ukrainian grain was supplied to developed Western countries. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said that Russia is ready to return to the agreement, but only when its part concerning Moscow is fulfilled.
Agreements on export of food and fertilizers from Ukraine to the international market were concluded on July 22, 2022, for 120 days and extended in November for the same period. One of the agreements envisioned the order of grain supplies from the Kiev-controlled ports of Odessa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny.
Moreover, a memorandum was inked by Russia and the UN on lifting export restrictions for Russian agricultural products and fertilizers to global markets. The second part stipulated unfreezing of Russian export of food and fertilizers, connection of Russian Agricultural Bank back to SWIFT, resumption of supplies of agriculture equipment, components and service maintenance, resumption of the work of Tolyatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline and a number of other steps. This part of the package agreement was not implemented as stated by Moscow. On March 18, 2023, Russia announced that the deal was extended for 60 days, warning that it would be enough time to assess the efficacy of the memorandum signed with the UN. On May 18, the grain deal was extended for another two months, until July 17.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said earlier that the extension of the grain deal was out of the question unless the Russian package of agreements was enforced, adding that the deal was implemented only regarding the supply of Ukrainian grain.
