Coalition of Foreign Ministers Demands Russia Stop Attacking Black Sea Grain Routes

A gathering of more than a dozen foreign ministers and top diplomats at the United Nations General Assembly delivered the most concentrated diplomatic push since 2022 to reopen Ukraine's Black Sea export corridor. With Ukrainian port capacity down 93%, grain storage weeks from full, and 266 million people already acutely hungry worldwide, the stakes of inaction are measured in human lives.

• More than 15 countries endorse an immediate moratorium on Russian attacks against civilian vessels, ports, and grain infrastructure in the Black Sea

• Ukrainian Black Sea ports have lost 93% of daily cargo capacity, dropping from 200,000 tons to just 14,000 tons per day since attacks escalated

• Ukrainian grain storage will hit maximum capacity within six weeks, ICC Secretary General warns, risking permanent disruption to the agricultural cycle

• 266 million people are acutely hungry worldwide, with WFP warning tens of millions more could join them as triple chokepoint disruptions mount

• Turkey reports 54 merchant vessels attacked and 4 citizens killed; Estonia documents 80+ attacks on civilian ships in three summer months

• France puts Black Sea grain protection atop its G7 agenda; Austria offers Vienna as venue for new talks

EU High Representative Kaja Kallas opened the ministerial side event — co-chaired by France, Romania, and Ukraine — with a blunt framing: Russia's escalating attacks since August have effectively shut down the most important route for Ukrainian grain to reach the world.