Negotiations on the restoration of the safe and trouble-free export of Russian and Ukrainian foodstuffs from Black Sea ports “should make a very real difference in alleviating food insecurity among a number of nations in the Global South that are in actual need,” says veteran financial analyst Paul Goncharoff.
“This will raise the image of both Russia and the USA in the Global South. Equally, if Ukraine and Brussels show disinterest, it would seriously blow back on their image as reasonable counterparties,” Goncharoff warned.
As for why the Black Sea Grain Initiative has been brought up now, before any actual ceasefire is in place or even rumored, doing so “sets the stage for a negotiations process that starts with a ‘Win’” for all sides, creating an important “positive tone, aside from being simply the right thing to do,” the observer explained.
🚨Kremlin Drops KEY Details on POINTS OF AGREEMENT From Latest Russia-US Meeting on Ukraine Peace
Russian and US negotiators spent twelve grueling hours Monday discussing steps to put the crisis to rest. Here’s what was agreed, according to the Russian side.
🧵1/9 pic.twitter.com/IJRFZDt402— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) March 25, 2025
What Was the Original Black Sea Grain Initiative?
Brokered by Turkiye and the United Nations in mid-2022, the Black Sea Grain Initiative was designed to allow Russian and Ukrainian grain-carrying ships to transit the Black Sea without fear of attack at sea amid the conflict in Ukraine.