On March 18, the UN announced an extension to the Grain Deal, an agreement brokered in summer 2022 which allows for limited amounts of Ukrainian grain to be exported to global markets via the country’s blockaded Black Sea ports. This is good news. However, within days, it became clear that Russia wanted further concessions and was only prepared to prolong the deal for a limited period of 60 days. Once again, we were reminded of how Moscow seeks to weaponize global food security in order to hold the international community hostage.
The blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports began on the eve of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. It aims to break Ukraine economically by undermining the country’s position as one of the world’s leading agricultural exporters. The impact of the blockade goes beyond Ukraine and is global in scale. By preventing the free passage of merchant shipping in the Black Sea, Russia deprives world markets of vital Ukrainian agricultural produce while also challenging the core principles of international maritime law.