Ukraine Hatches Plan to Reopen Black Sea Grain Route, Defying Russian Blockade

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will discuss circumventing Russia's "continued Black Sea grain blockade" at the G20 summit and Lloyd's of London is in talks with the UN to potentially cover Ukrainian grain shipments if a new Black Sea grain corridor agreement can be reached.

Russia is sticking to its conditions for a return to the Black Sea grain deal, including the reconnection of its state agricultural bank to the international SWIFT bank payments system, while Ukraine refuses to alter its stand and be hostage to "Russian blackmail."

The Ukrainian military claims to have recaptured strategic gas and oil drilling platforms from Russia in the Black Sea, taking back an asset that Russia seized in 2015 and increasing Ukraine's control over the waters of the Black Sea.

Poland has announced that it will cease supplying weapons to Ukraine amidst a heated dispute over grain exports, with fears of Ukraine flooding the market with low-cost grains due to blocked Russian export routes through the Black Sea.