Istanbul talks aim to restore grain movement
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed on October 31 to work on reviving the Black Sea grain corridor so the corridor "exists and is effective". Zelenskiy said the leaders discussed "some ideas and proposals that can help" during their meeting in Istanbul. The effort to revive the corridor is clearly the most practical way to address the $20bn economic threat to Turkey. The sea became economically destructive this year as Russian and Ukrainian drones targeted ports and ships, pushing up world grain prices. No container ship has called at the Greater Odesa ports since August, and Ukraine reported port throughput of 1.67mn tonnes in August, which marks an 80% drop from April levels. On the Russian side, cargo handling at some Azov and Black Sea terminals fell by 95% to 100% in September.
| Region | Detail | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Ukraine | 1.67mn tonnes throughput | August |
| Russia | 95% to 100% cargo fall | September |
| Bulgaria | Merchant vessel sunk | early October |
Ongoing attacks and upcoming negotiations
Erdogan criticized both sides during the press conference, stating that Ankara cannot accept attacks "regardless of who carries them out or what justification is offered." He said Turkey continues talks with both parties to restore maritime security and will take the issue up with Russia. Erdogan previously discussed Black Sea security with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone in early October after Russian drones sank a merchant vessel in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone. While Turkey hosted three rounds of direct Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul in 2025, a reciprocal maritime ceasefire discussed in September by Egypt, India, and Turkey yielded no result after the parties failed to reach an agreement. Russia rejected a moratorium proposal from Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on August 14 and ruled out a return to the 2022-23 Black Sea Grain Initiative. Kyiv has said it is ready to accept a moratorium.
Russia’s defence ministry said on October 31 that its drones struck a dry-cargo ship 18 km south of Odesa, which it said carried cargo for Ukraine’s armed forces, two days after it reported hitting another cargo ship heading for Odesa. Zelenskiy said a trilateral format involving Ukraine, the United States, and Russia is being prepared for the first half of November, although the Kremlin says the next round of these talks will take place in the United Arab Emirates. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in Atlanta that he does not know if negotiated peace is achievable in Ukraine.
