Ukraine Seeks EU and Turkey Involvement in Grain Export Talks

Ukraine is facing a pressing need to restore grain exports after the suspension of vessel calls to its Black Sea ports. Leonid Kozachenko, President of the Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation (UAC), has called for urgent action from the government. He believes that involving the European Union and Turkey in negotiations could help resolve the issue.

Kozachenko emphasized the importance of negotiating with the EU to remove or expand quotas on Ukrainian agricultural imports. With a potential drought reducing the EU's corn harvest this year, Ukraine could supply at least 7 million tons of corn to meet the demand. Kozachenko expressed frustration that the EU is instead negotiating with Argentina and Brazil.

He also stressed the need to engage Turkey in talks on reopening the Black Sea export corridor. President Erdoğan has direct contact with Putin, which could help facilitate a resolution. Kozachenko noted that every ton of grain exported matters at this point, and Turkey has historically been one of Ukraine's major buyers.

Furthermore, Kozachenko suggested ensuring unrestricted transit of Ukrainian grain through Poland to Baltic Sea ports. He believes that the EU should make a decision to guarantee uninterrupted transit across the European Union.