How to export grain in the Ukraine crisis: routes, sanctions, and diplomacy

President Vladimir Putin has challenged Western media and governments, saying they are pushing a claim that Russia blocks grain exports from Ukrainian ports as a bluff. He stated that Moscow would ensure uninterrupted grain shipments from Ukrainian waters if mines were cleared, and that Russia would not use demining to stage maritime strikes.

How to export grain

The Russian leader described several routes for moving grain from Ukrainian lands.

First, shipments could pass through port facilities controlled by Ukraine, with Odessa receiving particular attention. He asserted that Russia does not mine the approaches to Odessa; Ukraine does. He urged Kyiv to clear the mines so vessels can depart and reach international waters without impediment.

Putin also suggested that Russia could manage grain exports to Ukraine via Berdyansk and Mariupol under Moscow’s control, without imposing conditions. He pledged that Russia would facilitate access for foreign ships and safe passage in the Azov and Black Seas.

Additionally, Ukraine could use land routes to Poland, Hungary or Romania.

“Finally, the simplest option is to export through Belarusian territory. It would be the easiest and cheapest path, because from there ships can directly reach the ports of the Baltic States, the Baltic Sea, and beyond. But this would require sanctions on Belarus to be lifted,” the Russian president stated.

Little to solve the crisis

According to Putin, Ukrainian grain exports alone cannot fix the global food crisis since Ukraine’s potential wheat export volume represents only about 0.5% of world food production.

“We are told that Ukraine could export 20 million tons. That figure translates to 800 million tons of global production, or about 2.5% of what is produced worldwide. Yet wheat accounts for roughly 20% of the global food supply, so 20 million tons of Ukrainian wheat equals about 0.5% of the total. It seems insignificant,” Putin emphasized.

Russia aims to export 37 million tons of grain in the current agricultural year and 50 million tons in the next year.

Sanctions exacerbate the problem

Putin argued that Western sanctions against Russia worsen the crisis, noting that Russia is a major exporter of food and fertilizers, holding a significant share of the global market.

In the potash sector, he noted that Russia and Belarus together account for about 45% of the world market. He warned that prices would rise and described policy decisions as narrow-minded and counterproductive, leading to a dead end.

He linked higher food prices to policies of some Western governments, arguing that pandemic-era money printing and monetary expansion contributed to the pressures.

Putin also pointed to European energy policies as a contributing factor, highlighting reduced investment in energy and hesitance to renew long-term gas contracts. He argued that higher gas costs fed into higher fertilizer prices and forced some enterprises to close. He asserted that these dynamics were not connected to any Russian military action in Donbass and suggested that Western partners sometimes seek someone to blame, with Russia appearing as a convenient target.

Minsk will help grain export

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and UN Secretary-General António Guterres spoke by phone about Ukraine’s grain exports. Lukashenko indicated that Minsk could supply grain through Belarus to the ports of Germany, Poland, the Baltic states, and Russia, provided Belarusian goods could also be loaded there. He proposed talks involving Belarus, Ukraine, and the Baltic states, and after the discussion, Guterres requested a brief pause to consult with the relevant authorities.

Creating a safe corridor

Turkish media previously reported that Moscow, Ankara, Kyiv, and the UN were preparing a roadmap for exporting agricultural products from Ukrainian ports. Anadolu Agency described a plan to neutralize the Black Sea area and permit grain shipments to reach foreign markets under UN coordination. NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed any UN-coordinated effort to enable grain movement from Ukraine by land or sea.

Note: Developments around these discussions are part of ongoing diplomacy and multiple parties may update positions as talks continue. Attribution: UN, Reuters, Anadolu Agency, and official statements from the involved governments.