Russia on Friday dismissed Ukraine’s proposal for a mutual ceasefire on civilian targets in the Black Sea, with the Foreign Ministry saying it saw no grounds for “half-measures” that would give Kyiv a temporary reprieve.
The offer, transmitted through a third party earlier this week, came as both countries warned about threats to global food supplies following weeks of intensified strikes on vessels and ports. Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan had separately proposed a moratorium on attacks in the Black Sea to both Moscow and Kyiv.
Zakharova Accuses Ukraine of Terrorism
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova accused Ukraine of “brazen acts of terrorism” against shipping while making no mention of Russia’s own attacks on Ukrainian grain vessels and port infrastructure. She also ruled out returning to the 2022-23 Black Sea Grain Initiative, which collapsed after Russia withdrew from the deal brokered by Turkey and the United Nations.
“We see no signs of improvement in the situation and, consequently, no grounds for half-measures that merely grant the Kyiv regime temporary breathing space,” Zakharova said in a statement.
Grain Exports Plummet 76 Percent
Russia’s de facto blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports in the Odesa region has sent Ukrainian grain exports tumbling 76 percent year-on-year so far in August, with the agricultural sector warning of vast consequences for the economy should the disruption persist. Kyiv has been forced to turn to alternative shipment routes after many shipowners halted stops at Odesa ports, wary of Russian strikes on dozens of foreign-flagged ships and port infrastructure.
Ukraine had forecast 43 million tons of grain exports for the 2026-27 season, up from 37 million tons last season, with an estimated 9 million tons of carryover corn and wheat still to move. The continued blockade threatens to strand much of that volume as the peak export ramp-up season approaches.
Zelenskyy Warns Egypt of Food Supply Threat
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Thursday about the threat to food supplies caused by Russian strikes on cargo vessels in the Black Sea. “Ukraine is one of the largest food suppliers to Egypt and to a significant number of other countries in Africa and the Middle East. These supplies are now under serious threat because of Russia’s war,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.
Egypt is one of the world’s largest wheat importers, and Ukrainian grain has been a critical component of its food security strategy. The disruption to Black Sea shipping lanes has raised alarm across North Africa and the Middle East, where bread prices are politically sensitive and supply disruptions can trigger social unrest.
Sources: Reuters; AP; Arab News; Euromaidan Press
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