Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia was not ready to agree to a ceasefire covering attacks on ships carrying agricultural exports in the Black Sea, accusing Moscow of seeking to link any agreement to a halt in Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure.
Ukraine this month offered Russia a proposal to stop attacks on civilian vessels and food exports in the Black Sea. Russia rejected the idea, saying it saw no reason for what it described as partial measures.
Zelenskiy said Ukraine had proposed allowing vessels to transport agricultural products from Russian and Ukrainian ports without being attacked. However, he said Moscow wanted a broader arrangement in which Russia would stop attacks on Ukraine’s grain shipping routes only if Kyiv halted strikes against Russian oil refineries, pipelines and other energy facilities.
“For (Russia), it’s not about the grain. It’s exclusively about their energy sector, but the two are not comparable,” Zelenskiy said.
He added that any agreement covering attacks on Russian energy infrastructure would also have to include a reciprocal halt to Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy system.
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, and both countries remain major players in global agricultural markets. Attacks on grain terminals, shipping routes and other export infrastructure have raised concerns about disruptions to international food supplies.
The Kremlin said on Monday that measures were being taken to minimise the impact of Ukrainian strikes on Russian grain exports, but it did not immediately comment directly on Zelenskiy’s remarks.
Ukraine has intensified attacks on Russian economic and energy targets in recent weeks, including grain export facilities. Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s electricity infrastructure, particularly during the winter months, causing widespread power and heating disruptions.
The dispute over Black Sea shipping adds another obstacle to efforts to reduce the wider economic and humanitarian consequences of the war.
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