Russia rejected all proposals for a ceasefire in the Black Sea, — Vysotskyi

The mediator countries have informed Kyiv that Moscow has rejected all of its partners’ proposals for a limited ceasefire or a moratorium on strikes.

Ukraine sees no positive signals regarding a possible ceasefire in the Black Sea that would allow grain exports to resume in the coming months. This was stated by Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Taras Vysotsky in an interview with Bloomberg in Brussels, where he was to brief his EU colleagues.

According to him, the countries facilitating the negotiations have informed Kyiv that Russia has rejected all of its partners’ proposals. This includes a limited ceasefire or a moratorium on strikes in the Black Sea that would allow grain exports to continue.

“All possible rounds have been tried, but so far no results,” the minister noted. “Unfortunately, it is difficult to imagine any possible solutions to this issue in the coming months. We must realistically prepare for the situation to remain as critical as it is now.”

In parallel, efforts are underway from Turkey. Thus, on September 19, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan reported that Ankara had sent proposals to Ukraine and Russia to stop attacks in the Black Sea, including strikes on port infrastructure. Last week, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that he had received a “positive response” from Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the restoration of the grain corridor. However, a specific mechanism has not yet been agreed upon.

Currently, Ukraine has increased exports via alternative routes to 45% of the required volume. According to government estimates, the maximum throughput of these routes is about 50%. Because of this, there is a risk that in the 2026/27 marketing year it will not be possible to export about 30 million tons of agricultural products.

Yau reported the day before to USM that Ukraine has proposed to the EU to create a mechanism to support alternative logistics, since due to restrictions on port operations, more than 30 million tons of agricultural products may remain unexported.