Kyiv is conducting negotiations with Turkey, India, and Egypt to establish a mutual non-aggression framework for commercial shipping in the Black Sea. The joint initiative aims to secure maritime routes for agricultural exports amid escalating port strikes, addressing severe supply chain disruptions that have reduced Ukraine’s grain export capacity to fraction levels.

Ukraine is actively negotiating with Turkey, India, and Egypt to restore safe commercial navigation across the Black Sea and protect agricultural supply chains from mounting geopolitical risks. The proposed arrangement focuses on granting safe passage to vessels flying the flags of the three negotiating nations, creating a reciprocal agreement where merchant ships accessing both Ukrainian and Russian ports are protected from military targeting.

The diplomatic push comes as Russian attacks on port infrastructure have severely constrained logistics, leaving Ukraine operating at just 38% of its normal agricultural export capacity. Alternative overland transit routes and European Solidarity Lanes remain incapable of absorbing the required maritime volumes.

"One ship heading to our port, and the other to Russian and we accept agreements not to strike either of these vessels," stated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, while noting that Moscow currently opposes the trilateral proposal despite ongoing diplomatic mediation.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative, previously brokered by Turkey and the UN, successfully facilitated the export of nearly 33 million tonnes of agricultural commodities before its termination in July 2023.