Commission chief spokesperson Paula Pinho gave no details on the proposals or the EU’s role. She noted a “common interest” in resolving disruptions, but declined to comment on the intentions of Turkey or the U.S.
Asked whether he foresaw a possible breakthrough this week, Ukraine’s Agriculture Minister Taras Vysotskyi was pessimistic. He said that Kyiv is “preparing to keep our farmers operating without access to the deep-water Black Sea ports for the long term.”
The Black Sea matters to both sides in the war.
The ports of Ukraine’s Greater Odesa region are main channels for its exports, including steel, iron ore and grain, and they bring in billions of dollars. Several ships hit in EU waters were carrying Ukrainian grain.
Most of Russia’s grain exports also leave through Black Sea ports such as Novorossiysk, a major oil export hub, along with Tuapse.
Other countries are deeply invested, too. Near Novorossiysk, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal, partly owned by U.S. oil giants Chevron and Exxon, handles about 80% of Kazakhstan’s crude exports.