The United Nations is actively working towards improving Russia's grain and fertilizer exports in order to persuade Moscow to resume the safe Black Sea export of Ukraine grain, according to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Guterres made these remarks on Thursday during the Association of South East Asian Nations summit in Jakarta. Guterres emphasized the need to establish a system of mutual guarantee, ensuring that Russia can overcome existing challenges while also guaranteeing the restoration of the Black Sea initiative. In an effort to revive the Black Sea grain deal, Guterres recently sent a set of concrete proposals to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The deal, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, was abandoned by Russia in July, a year after its establishment. Both Russia and Ukraine are major grain exporters. The Black Sea grain deal aimed to address a global food crisis worsened by Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. While Russia's grain and fertilizer exports are not affected by Western sanctions, Moscow has cited restrictions on payments, logistics, and insurance as barriers to shipments. In response to the U.N.'s attempt to revive the Black Sea deal, Russia's Foreign Ministry dismissed it as a mere promise.

The ministry publicly outlined the proposals made by Guterres, which include reconnecting a subsidiary of the Russian Agricultural Bank to SWIFT, establishing an insurance platform, unblocking foreign assets of Russian fertilizer producers, and allowing Russian ships to enter European ports. However, Russia insists on resuming the Black Sea Initiative immediately and in its entirety as a condition for accepting these proposals. A U.N. official, speaking anonymously, confirmed Russia's account of the U.N. proposals. Guterres acknowledged the difficulties faced by the U.N. in overcoming obstacles to Russia's exports. He highlighted the challenges of gaining the goodwill of other global partners, particularly when Russia targets grain facilities and warehouses through bombardments.

Following its withdrawal from the Black Sea pact, Russia has been targeting Ukrainian ports and grain infrastructure on the Black Sea and Danube River, causing a spike in global grain prices. In response, Ukraine has announced measures against vessels bound for Russia or Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory. The United Nations' efforts to improve Russia's grain and fertilizer exports and restore the Black Sea initiative signify the importance of addressing the global food crisis and stabilizing agricultural trade in the region.