Ukraine’s Lesson for Trump: Military Dominance Opens Waterways

Visits by Guterres to Ukraine, Russia, and Turkey kicked off a three-month process to figure out wording that would satisfy all sides and allow grain exports to restart from the sea via the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

When Russia declined to renew the deal in 2023, sea exports again halted, as no outside authority was able to guarantee the security of ships.

In August, the first vessel transited the corridor, slowly reopening the flow. The total goods that pass through Ukrainian ports shot up to 97.2 million metric tons in 2024 from 62 million tons in 2023, according to the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority. 

Russia continues to mount long-range attacks on Ukraine’s export hubs with explosive drones and missiles. But around 90% of Ukraine’s agricultural produce is now exported by sea, nearing the prewar level of 94%, according to the Ukrainian government.

Source: The Wall Street Journal.

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