Key facts
- Ukraine is open to a grain truce with Russia, according to Deputy Prime Minister Vsevolod Chentsov.
- Chentsov suggested a truce could be a starting point for broader discussions.
- Russia has targeted Ukrainian Black Sea ports and vessels since 2022.
- Recent escalations have led to attacks on ships and ports, impacting grain exports.
- Ukraine's grain exports have halved compared to last year.
- Over 9 million tonnes of grain may spoil by October due to storage concerns.
Kyiv is open to a grain truce with Russia, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Vsevolod Chentsov, told POLITICO's Brussels Playbook Live event on September 22, 2026.
“It's a good moment now to sit and talk, and to find a solution,” Chentsov said. When asked if Ukraine would be open to a grain truce—during which Russia and Ukraine agree to halt military strikes on ships carrying agricultural cargo, ports, and grain storage facilities in the Black Sea—Chentsov responded, “Why not? We need to start somewhere, and step by step, eventually we can discuss something more comprehensive.”
Russia began attacking port infrastructure and vessels in Ukrainian Black Sea ports after its full-scale invasion in 2022, preventing Kyiv from exporting grain. Chentsov noted, “They [Russia] try to lock our grain exports in the Black Sea, but we are doing the same.” He added that Russia should understand the situation can worsen and affect Russian citizens.
An escalation of hostilities in the Black Sea over the summer saw both Russia and Ukraine attacking each other’s ships and ports, disrupting crucial grain exports and raising concerns about higher global food prices. The Black Sea has become particularly dangerous for commercial shipping, with more crew killed in July than in the entire war before that month.
Before Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine was a major global supplier of corn (15%), wheat (10%), barley (15–20%), and sunflower oil (50%). According to the EEAS, Russian attacks have halved Ukraine's grain exports compared to last year, contributing to rising global food prices. Concerns also exist that Ukraine may exhaust its grain storage capacity by October, potentially leaving over 9 million tonnes of grain to spoil while farmers lack funds for the next planting season.