Türkiye and the United Nations are preparing a new round of talks with Ukraine and Russia on the security of Black Sea navigation and grain shipments. The meetings are expected to take place in early October, with representatives of the Swiss-based Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue also acting as mediators. The initiative has gained momentum amid risks to port infrastructure and growing concerns over the stability of global food supplies.
The upcoming talks do not imply an automatic return to the 2022 grain deal. Instead, the parties are considering a more narrowly defined reciprocal mechanism that could provide for freedom of commercial navigation and protection of port and energy infrastructure. In late September, the issue was already discussed by representatives of Türkiye, the United States, European countries, India and Egypt during a closed-door meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Türkiye has also previously submitted a separate proposal to Ukraine and Russia aimed at ending attacks on civilian vessels. Ankara is seeking to draw on the experience of the 2022 Black Sea Grain Initiative, under which more than 32 million tonnes of grain and other food products were exported from Ukrainian ports to 45 countries. At that time, the safe passage of vessels was coordinated through the Joint Coordination Centre in Istanbul involving Ukraine, Türkiye, the UN and Russia.
However, it is still too early to speak about the rapid restoration of a full-scale grain corridor. Ukraine has expressed its readiness to discuss mechanisms for safe navigation while stressing the need to halt attacks on port infrastructure. Ukrainian officials also stated in late September that they currently see no clear conditions for restoring the grain corridor in the coming months. Therefore, the early October talks should primarily be viewed as an attempt to establish new security guarantees for civilian shipping and food exports rather than an already agreed revival of the previous grain deal.