The Black Sea grain deal and Russia's exit from it

Gone quiet · last story Nov 27, 2023

A deal negotiated in July 2022 by Turkey and the United Nations let Ukraine export grain through the Black Sea despite Russia's invasion, and by October more than 9 million tons had shipped, helping to bring down soaring global food prices.[1][2] Russia halted the deal in July 2023, and Ukraine has since shipped grain through a corridor of its own.[3][4][5]

What this arc covers

The deal brokered by the UN and Turkey that let Ukraine ship grain through the Black Sea during Russia's invasion: the shipments, including to countries facing hunger, Vladimir Putin's complaints about the deal, Russia's brief suspension of it in October 2022 and its renewals, Russia's withdrawal in July 2023 and the rise in food prices that followed, the efforts by Turkey's president and African leaders to revive it, and Ukraine's shipments through its own corridor afterward.

Earliest story we hold Aug 20, 2022 · 24 stories · 127 independent sources (counted once each) · 464 days

Part ofUkraineRussiaVladimir PutinTurkeyRecep Tayyip ErdoğanUnited NationsIndia

Background

Under the deal, ships carried grain from Ukraine's ports to countries facing hunger; the first bound for the Horn of Africa docked in Djibouti in August 2022 as drought and conflict gripped parts of East Africa.[6] Vladimir Putin accused Kyiv and the West of using the deal mostly to help rich European countries.[7] At the end of October, Russia suspended its participation, then rejoined days later,[2][8] and in November the parties extended the deal by four months.[9] In 2023 Russia accepted only shorter extensions, of 60 days and then two months,[10][11] while Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov threatened to abandon the deal if obstacles to Russia's own exports remained.[1]

Russia halted the deal in July 2023.[3] At the UN Security Council, its ally China, developing countries and Western nations pressed it to revive the shipments,[12] and Putin told African leaders at a summit in St. Petersburg that Russia would send free grain to six African countries.[13] Global food prices rose for the first time in months after Russia ended the deal and India restricted some rice exports.[14] Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met Putin in Sochi in September to try to revive the agreement, but Putin said he would not return to it until the West met his demands.[15] By then, ships had begun arriving in Ukraine's ports through a temporary corridor its government had established.[4]

Supporting stories (15)
  1. Russia threatens to scrap Ukraine grain deal
  2. Concerns of Global Hunger Rise as Russia Resumes Blockade of Grain Exports From Ukraine
  3. Russia halts wartime deal that allows Ukraine to ship grain in a hit to global food security
  4. First civilian cargo ships arrive in Ukraine port since Russia's withdrawal from grain deal
  5. Ukraine is shipping more grain through the Black Sea despite threat from Russia
  6. First Ukraine grain ship for the Horn of Africa reaches Djibouti
  7. Putin says Ukraine grain deal mostly helping rich EU
  8. Russia rejoins wartime deal on Ukrainian grain exports
  9. Ukraine grain export deal extended for four months
  10. Russia: 60-day extension of wartime grain deal acceptable
  11. Russia agrees to extend Ukraine grain deal in a boost for global food security
  12. Russia comes under pressure at UN to avoid global food crisis and revive Ukrainian grain shipments
  13. African leaders leave Russia summit without grain deal or a path to end the war in Ukraine
  14. Global food prices are on the rise after Russia ends grain deal and India restricts rice exports
  15. Putin says he won’t renew the grain deal until the West meets his demands. The West says it has

Overview updated Oct 8, 2026

Part of The Russia-Ukraine war

  1. The peace talksAug 18, 2022 – Sep 25, 2026
  2. Western weapons and aid for UkraineAug 19, 2022 – Oct 4, 2026
  3. The Black Sea grain deal and Russia's exit from itThis arcAug 20, 2022 – Nov 27, 2023
  4. Sanctions on Russia and the fight over its frozen assetsAug 30, 2022 – Oct 7, 2026
  5. The Nord Stream explosions and Germany's case against Ukrainian suspectsSep 26, 2022 – Sep 24, 2026
  6. Russian drones in NATO airspace and alleged sabotage plotsNov 15, 2022 – Sep 28, 2026
  7. Ukraine's politics under martial lawDec 2, 2022 – Sep 7, 2026
  8. The US-Ukraine minerals deal, from Trump's demand to the April 2025 signingFeb 3 – Apr 30, 2025
Show remaining 1 arcs
  1. The front line and the long-range strikesAug 16, 2022 – Oct 6, 2026

Where it standsnewest first · each bar runs left to right by leaning

Nov 272023Ukraine is shipping more grain through the Black Sea despite threat from Russia11 articles · 11 independent sources
2 left, 3 center, 1 right
Sep 172023First civilian cargo ships arrive in Ukraine port since Russia's withdrawal from grain deal8 articles · 8 independent sources
2 left, 2 center, 0 right
Sep 42023Putin says he won’t renew the grain deal until the West meets his demands. The West says it has47 articles · 23 independent sources
2 left, 6 center, 1 right

Key momentsthe most covered; every story is below

  1. Oct 29 – 31, 2022Concerns of Global Hunger Rise as Russia Resumes Blockade of Grain Exports From Ukraine85 articles · 37 independent sources
  2. Oct 29 – Nov 2, 2022Russia rejoins wartime deal on Ukrainian grain exports53 articles · 33 independent sources
    1. Oct 30, 2022Only center coverage:UN, Nato, EU and US demand Russia resumes Ukrainian grain deal
    2. Nov 1, 2022Only lean-left coverage:Turkey calls on Russia to reconsider Ukraine ‘grain deal’ suspension
    3. Nov 2, 2022Russia rejoins deal on wartime Ukrainian grain exports
  3. May 17 – 18, 2023Russia agrees to extend Ukraine grain deal in a boost for global food security44 articles · 31 independent sources
  4. Jul 13 – 17, 2023Russia halts wartime deal that allows Ukraine to ship grain in a hit to global food security57 articles · 35 independent sources
    1. Jul 15, 2023Only center coverage:Why allowing Ukraine to ship grain during Russia's war matters to the world
    2. Jul 17, 2023Russia halts wartime deal that allows Ukraine to ship grain, Kremlin says
  5. Jul 16 – 21, 2023An update on the Black Sea grain deal50 articles · 33 independent sources
    1. Jul 17, 2023Russia ends grain export deal with Ukraine, raising fears about global food security
    2. Jul 19, 2023Ukraine says Russia targeting grain sites after deal exit
    3. Jul 21, 2023Russia continues deadly missile assault on Odessa, grain facilities

Who covered it, over timeindependent sources per week, by side

Aug 2022Nov 2022Feb 2023May 2023Aug 2023Nov 2023

LeftCenterRight

Point at or tap a week to see its count by side.

Every week as a table
Week ofLeftCenterRightArticles
Aug 15, 202233022
Aug 29, 20222105
Sep 5, 20220113
Oct 24, 2022214373
Oct 31, 2022912674
Nov 14, 202254124
Feb 13, 202312017
Mar 13, 202334123
Apr 3, 20230124
May 15, 202376441
Jul 10, 202324019
Jul 17, 202313238103
Jul 24, 2023910234
Jul 31, 202313112
Aug 28, 202335039
Sep 4, 2023612267
Sep 11, 20232208
Nov 27, 202323111

Stories before June 28, 2026 come from archived pages, so who covered them is limited to the outlets we recovered for that period.

25% left · 60% center · 15% right of 127 independent sources among the outlets we track, across 24 stories.

Every storyoldest first

  1. August 2022

    Aug 20UN: US buying big Ukraine grain shipment for hungry regions22 articles · 15 independent sources
    3 left, 3 center, 0 right
  2. Aug 30First Ukraine grain ship for the Horn of Africa reaches Djibouti5 articles · 5 independent sources
    2 left, 1 center, 0 right

  3. September 2022

    Sep 7Putin says Ukraine grain deal mostly helping rich EU5 articles · 5 independent sources
    0 left, 1 center, 1 right

  4. October 2022

    Oct 29– 31Concerns of Global Hunger Rise as Russia Resumes Blockade of Grain Exports From Ukraine85 articles · 37 independent sources
    2 left, 14 center, 2 right
  5. Oct 29– Nov 2Russia rejoins wartime deal on Ukrainian grain exports53 articles · 33 independent sources
    7 left, 7 center, 6 right
  6. Oct 30– Nov 1Ships sail from Ukraine despite Russia suspending grain deal19 articles · 8 independent sources
    2 left, 2 center, 2 right

  7. November 2022

    Nov 17Ukraine grain export deal extended for four months26 articles · 16 independent sources
    5 left, 4 center, 1 right

  8. February 2023

    Feb 19Ukrainian Grain Exports Drop By Half as Russian Invasion Nears 1-Year Mark17 articles · 12 independent sources
    1 left, 2 center, 0 right

  9. March 2023

    Mar 13Russia: 60-day extension of wartime grain deal acceptable7 articles · 7 independent sources
    1 left, 2 center, 0 right
  10. Mar 18Russia, Ukraine extend unprecedented wartime grain deal18 articles · 10 independent sources
    2 left, 2 center, 1 right

  11. April 2023

    Apr 7Russia threatens to scrap Ukraine grain deal5 articles · 5 independent sources
    0 left, 1 center, 2 right

  12. May 2023

    May 17– 18Russia agrees to extend Ukraine grain deal in a boost for global food security44 articles · 31 independent sources
    7 left, 6 center, 4 right

  13. July 2023

    Jul 12Russia's threat to pull out of Ukraine grain deal raises fears about global food security12 articles · 9 independent sources
    2 left, 1 center, 0 right
  14. Jul 13– 17Russia halts wartime deal that allows Ukraine to ship grain in a hit to global food security57 articles · 35 independent sources
    6 left, 15 center, 2 right
  15. Jul 16– 21An update on the Black Sea grain deal50 articles · 33 independent sources
    5 left, 11 center, 8 right
  16. Jul 21– 22Russia comes under pressure at UN to avoid global food crisis and revive Ukrainian grain shipments14 articles · 14 independent sources
    4 left, 3 center, 0 right
  17. Jul 25– 30African leaders leave Russia summit without grain deal or a path to end the war in Ukraine29 articles · 23 independent sources
    7 left, 9 center, 1 right
  18. Jul 27Putin Promises Russian Grain Shipments to Africa10 articles · 10 independent sources
    2 left, 2 center, 1 right

  19. August 2023

    Aug 4– 5Global food prices are on the rise after Russia ends grain deal and India restricts rice exports13 articles · 13 independent sources
    1 left, 3 center, 1 right

  20. September 2023

    Sep 1– 4The Turkish president meets Putin with the aim of reviving the Ukraine grain export deal41 articles · 27 independent sources
    6 left, 8 center, 2 right
  21. Sep 1Russia's Putin and Turkey's Erdogan set to meet amid efforts to repair Ukraine grain deal26 articles · 7 independent sources
    1 left, 3 center, 0 right
  22. Sep 4Putin says he won’t renew the grain deal until the West meets his demands. The West says it has47 articles · 23 independent sources
    2 left, 6 center, 1 right
  23. Sep 17First civilian cargo ships arrive in Ukraine port since Russia's withdrawal from grain deal8 articles · 8 independent sources
    2 left, 2 center, 0 right

  24. November 2023

    Nov 27Ukraine is shipping more grain through the Black Sea despite threat from Russia11 articles · 11 independent sources
    2 left, 3 center, 1 right