No Prospect of Reviving Black Sea Grain Deal, Russian Diplomat Says

Oct. 26, 2026 A grain shipment at the port of Novorossiysk in southern Russia. Ivan Studenov (CC BY-SA 4.0) Russian officials remain in contact with their Turkish counterparts on issues of maritime navigation through the Black Sea, a senior Russian diplomat told the Interfax news agency on Monday, but Moscow sees no immediate prospect of renewing the Black Sea grain initiative. “We’re considering proposals from various countries. We’re in dialogue with all countries, including Turkey,” Alexander Alimov, deputy director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s department of international organizations, was quoted as saying. “But for now, I don’t see any prospects for reviving the ‘grain deal’,” Alimov said, referring to the Black Sea Grain Initiative, an agreement brokered by Turkey and the UN in 2022 to prevent a global food shortage. That original deal enabled the safe transport of nearly 33 million metric tons of Ukrainian agricultural exports. Russia backed out of the arrangement in the summer of 2023, claiming Western sanctions continued to hamper Russian food and fertilizer exports and alleging Ukraine was using the maritime corridor for military operations. Since this summer, Ukraine and Russia have ramped up their attacks on commercial vessels and port infrastructure in the Black Sea, creating major disruptions to shipping and driving wheat prices higher on global markets. Turkey, which has maintained good relations with both countries since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, has for months tried to negotiate a maritime security agreement between the countries. Read more about: Black Sea , Turkey , Agriculture , Ukraine Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Russian Wheat Exports Brace for Decade Low in August Amid Black Sea Attacks Russia and Ukraine have been attacking each other’s agricultural export facilities and commercial vessels in the Black Sea in recent weeks, driving wheat... 2 Min read Sanctioned Oil Tankers Hit by Blasts, Fire En Route to Russia, Turkey Says Authorities suggested the two tankers may have been hit by devices while heading toward the Russian port of Novorossiysk. 2 Min read Ukraine Grain Deal ‘De Facto’ Over – Kremlin Presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists that Russia's part of the agreements had "not been implemented so far, so it’s terminated." 2 Min read Russian, Ukrainian Negotiators Begin Talks in Istanbul "The whole world is waiting for good news from you," Turkey's Erdogan told the delegations.