The UN office at the Joint Coordination Center (JCC) reported that ship inspections would persist as part of the grain agreement from April 20, with confirmation relayed through official channels. The update indicated that inspection activities resumed recently and would be carried out on the current day as well. Officials described a staged return to routine checks, emphasizing that the steps were coordinated with all parties to ensure continued compliance with the agreement and to maintain transparent oversight of grain shipments through the Black Sea corridor.
Narratives from UN spokespeople underscored that the parties reached specific understandings that enabled the resumption of inspections. These gains, according to the briefings, helped stabilize the operation and permit ongoing verification of vessels involved in the program. The statements highlighted a collaborative process that aimed to sustain the flow of grain exports while addressing safety and monitoring requirements agreed upon by the involved states.
Former Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin commented that UN efforts have not translated into the full execution of the Russian section of the grain agreement. He asserted that, in practice, the Russian portion of the deal with the United Nations has “de facto stopped,” while also noting that it would be inaccurate to declare the action definitively finished, given that some dynamics continue to evolve in the broader framework of the agreement. His remarks reflected skepticism about the pace and completeness of implementation from Moscow’s perspective, even as other elements of the accord remain in operation.
Earlier,Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, described the difficulties surrounding inspections as stemming from perceived faults on the Ukrainian side and from the UN’s role. She claimed that Ukrainian officials permit only ships whose owners have paid bribes to participate in what is described as the Black Sea Initiative. This characterization added to the competing narratives about accountability and transparency within the inspection regime and underscored tensions over compliance, verification, and governance within the agreement.
Across these statements, the central theme remains a mix of progress and contention. On one hand, the UN and other stakeholders reiterate that inspections are continuing in support of the grain corridor, signaling ongoing operational momentum. On the other hand, Russian officials emphasize gaps in the implementation of their component of the agreement, suggesting that the full accord continues to face obstacles. The weight of these competing claims has influenced perceptions of reliability and predictability in the Black Sea export framework, which remains a critical channel for global food security. In this environment, the parts of the accord that function—inspections, ship movements, and verification protocols—are balanced against political dynamics that affect trust and participation among the involved parties. The overall trajectory appears to be a careful balancing act, with both sides acknowledging advances while pointing to areas where the process must improve to reach a more complete, lasting resolution.