The dry cargo ship TQ Samsun marked the final departure from the Ukrainian port under the grain corridor that is due to expire on July 17. The move was reported by Reuters and corroborated by the ship-tracking service Marine Traffic.
Departing Odessa at 08:12, the vessel is scheduled to reach Istanbul on July 17 at 14:00. The Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul confirmed that the dry cargo ship will then head toward the Netherlands. Current data indicate it is carrying 38.8 thousand tons of agricultural goods.
The previous day, SKC said that only a single grain-carrying ship, the TQ Samsun, remained active at the port. The center has not approved new inspections since June 27.
“Great diplomatic costs”
In an interview with CBS, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan warned that Washington stands ready for any Russian decision concerning the grain deal. He suggested Russia might withdraw or extend the agreement, and that the United States is prepared for every scenario while coordinating closely with Kyiv.
Sullivan emphasized that, from Washington’s view, Russia’s refusal to extend the pact would bring about substantial diplomatic costs for Moscow. He stressed, however, that the ultimate choice lies with President Vladimir Putin.
Finding a compromise
A TASS report, quoting a Turkish diplomatic source, said that decisions on expanding the humanitarian program could be made at the last moment.
The source noted that if Moscow sees fit to extend the agreement, expansion could be possible at the final stage of talks. Moscow has signaled a determination not to renew the grain deal, raising the need for novel arguments and compromises to restart the flow of agricultural products.
The current state of negotiations
On July 12, a representative of the UN Secretary-General said that António Guterres had sent a letter to Putin outlining proposals to implement Russia’s part of the plan. The objective was to alleviate obstacles to financial transactions via Ziraat Bank and to sustain Ukrainian grain shipments through the Black Sea corridor.
The following day, Putin described his expectations for the grain deal as “just enough,” but he warned that Russia could withdraw from the agreement if Moscow’s conditions were not met. He also mentioned that he had not seen a new letter from the UN Secretary-General, but that Moscow remained in contact with the organization. He claimed the UN was striving to improve the situation, though Western countries were blocking progress.
On July 14, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed confidence that Putin would visit Turkey in August, noting shared views on the grain corridor’s expansion.
“We are preparing to host Putin in Turkey in August, and we share the same position on expanding the grain corridor,” Erdogan said.
UN grain agreement data
On July 15, the UN coordination center released a summary of the agreement’s outcomes. It reported that about 90% of corn and 60% of wheat shipments go to higher-income nations. Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen received 2.5% of the food moved under the accord—roughly 822,000 tons out of more than 33 million tons tracked by the center.
During the duration of the grain initiative, a total of 1,003 ships departed Ukrainian ports with grain, carrying more than 32.8 million tons of cargo.