Vysotskyi: No Grain Truce in the Black Sea Expected in the Coming Months

This view was expressed by Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Taras Vysotskyi in an interview with Bloomberg.

«Unfortunately, it is difficult to imagine any possible solutions to this issue in the coming months. We have to realistically prepare for the situation to remain as critical as it is now,» he said.

Vysotskyi noted that countries attempting to facilitate negotiations had informed Ukraine that russia had rejected all proposals. Partners assured Ukraine that every diplomatic option had been tried, but no results have been achieved so far.

Türkiye is one of the countries seeking to restore the grain corridor to ensure these exports. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said last week that he had received a positive response from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy regarding efforts to restore the grain corridor through the Black Sea. At the same time, russian president vladimir putin said last week that the proposals remained on the negotiating table and that russia would decide how to respond based on its own interests.

In addition, Taras Vysotskyi said that Ukraine had asked the European Union to provide €220 million in support for the agricultural sector, but the European Commission refused to allocate the funding. However, Ukraine will receive a $250 million low-interest loan from the World Bank.

«This will more or less allow us to hold out until the New Year. But we already need to think about what will happen in the spring after the New Year, as the situation remains critical,» Vysotskyi said.

In addition, Ukraine has asked the EU to increase duty-free trade quotas for bioethanol and sugar in 2027. If successful, Ukraine will seek to increase quotas for other agricultural products, Vysotskyi noted.