Reading Time: 2 minutes United Nations | Reuters — Top United Nations trade official Rebeca Grynspan met with Russian officials in Moscow on Monday for talks aimed at enabling the “unimpeded access” to global markets for grain and fertilizer from Russia and Ukraine, a U.N. spokesperson said. U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths also attended the meetings virtually, U.N. spokesperson […] Read more
U.N. held talks in Russia on Monday on grain, fertilizer exports
'Unimpeded access' sought for Ukrainian, Russian grain
Britain says Russia may target civilian shipping with mines in Black Sea
Intel suggests goal is to deter Ukraine grain exports, Britain says
Reading Time: < 1 minute London | Reuters — Russia may use sea mines to target civilian shipping in the Black Sea, including by laying them on the approach to Ukrainian ports, the British government said on Wednesday citing intelligence. Russia in July pulled out of a deal that had allowed Ukraine to safely ship food products out through what […] Read more
Russia’s leverage on grain to decline, senior U.S. official says
Attacks on ships may hurt pricing
Reading Time: 2 minutes New York | Reuters — Russia’s leverage over Ukraine’s export of grain via the Black Sea will likely erode in weeks to come as more ships are able to leave Ukrainian ports and rising costs could prompt Moscow to reconsider its abandonment of the grain deal, a senior U.S. State Department official said. James O’Brien, […] Read more
Romania, Ukraine to work on grain import-export licensing system
Three other EU countries have bans in place
Reading Time: 2 minutes Bucharest | Reuters — Romania will work with Ukraine over the next 30 days on a grain export control plan that will help protect Romanian farmers, Agriculture Minister Florin Barbu said on Wednesday. Romania is among five eastern European Union countries along with Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia that saw a surge of Ukrainian grain […] Read more
Kyiv acts on ‘compromise’ plan after filing WTO complaint over food ban
Three EU countries have restricted Ukraine grain imports
Reading Time: 3 minutes Kyiv | Reuters — Ukraine appealed to three neighbouring countries in the European Union on Tuesday to embark on “constructive dialogue” to end a dispute over agricultural trade, and approved what it called a “compromise scenario.” Poland, Slovakia and Hungary announced restrictions on imports from Ukraine on Friday after the European Commission decided not to […] Read more
Farm trade dispute creates rift between Ukraine and its allies
Ukraine sues three EU member states at WTO
Reading Time: 3 minutes Brussels/Kyiv | Reuters — A dispute over agricultural trade created a rift on Monday between Ukraine and some of its strongest allies in the European Union after three member states imposed unilateral measures to restrict imports from the war-torn country. Poland, Slovakia and Hungary announced restrictions on imports on Friday after the European Commission decided […] Read more
Poland, Hungary, Slovakia to continue own bans on Ukraine grain
European Commission decides not to extend ban
Reading Time: 3 minutes Brussels/Warsaw | Reuters — Poland, Slovakia and Hungary will impose their own restrictions on Ukrainian grain imports, the governments said on Friday, after the European Commission decided not to extend a ban affecting Ukraine’s five EU neighbours. Restrictions imposed by the European Union in May allowed Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia to ban domestic […] Read more
EU ag commissioner pushes for extension of Ukraine grain import ban
Restrictions due to expire Friday
Reading Time: 2 minutes Brussels/Bucharest | Reuters — The EU agriculture commissioner said on Tuesday said he believes the European Commission should extend a temporary ban on Ukraine imports into five neighouring EU states, as the measure helped boost exports outside the bloc. Ukraine has become entirely dependent on alternative European Union routes, called Solidarity Lanes, for its grain […] Read more
Russian Agricultural Bank could have SWIFT access within 30 days, U.N. tells Moscow
Russia seeking 'actual exemptions' from sanctions
Reading Time: 3 minutes Reuters — A Russian Agricultural Bank subsidiary in Luxembourg could immediately apply to SWIFT to “effectively enable access” for the bank to the international payments system within 30 days, the United Nations told Russia in a letter, seen by Reuters on Friday. “SWIFT has confirmed that RSHB Capital S.A. would be eligible to apply for […] Read more
UN working on guarantees for Russia to restore grain deal, Moscow skeptical
Bombing of Ukraine ports, grain facilities erodes other partners' goodwill, Guterres says
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — The United Nations is “actively engaged” in trying to improve Russia’s grain and fertilizer exports in a bid to convince Moscow to again allow the safe Black Sea export of Ukraine grain, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Thursday. “We believe that it’s necessary to create a system of mutual guarantee,” Guterres told reporters on […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
