The United States sees alternative routes by which Ukraine can still export grain, without a grain deal with Russia. A government official reports this to Reuters. Possibly this would allow Ukraine to return to the same level of grain exports as before the war.
The routes the U.S. considers possible are through both land and Ukraine’s territorial waters.
‘We see that there are viable routes through Ukraine’s territorial waters and overland. We aim to return to exporting prewar averages from Ukraine in the next few months,’ said an ambitious James O’Brien, head of the U.S. sanctions coordination center.
If the U.S. succeeds with Ukraine in restoring exports, it means good news for Western countries, among others. In fact, Ukraine is one of the significant suppliers of grain worldwide. Many countries have been suffering from shortages and high prices of grain products since Russia invaded Ukraine.
Under the grain deal Turkey had set up between Russia and Ukraine, trade did resume, but Russia let the deal expire earlier this summer. As a result, Ukraine switched to exporting via the Danube River. However, ports from which Ukraine has resumed exports via the Danube are regularly targeted by Russian missile attacks. There has also been a test to set up a corridor that still allowed a cargo ship to pass through the Black Sea toward Turkey.
About the author: Rick Culpepper
Rick Culpepper is of those journalists who dig the topic to the very bottom. He is often late with the delivery of the piece, but always does it perfectly. In his spare time, he collects data for one of the most high-profile investigations of corruption in the EU.
