Date: September 23, 2026
Reporter: Emilly Jordan
UNITED NATIONS — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told world leaders at the United Nations on Wednesday that Ukraine was ready to agree to a maritime truce in the Black Sea based on proposals put forward by Egypt, India and Turkey, saying the next step now depended on Russia.
Zelenskiy made the statement during the Crimean Platform summit on the sidelines of the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York, as international diplomatic efforts continue to seek limited agreements between Russia and Ukraine. The war has now entered its fifth year.
Ukraine has been pressing for separate ceasefire arrangements covering attacks on energy infrastructure and commercial shipping in the Black Sea. Kyiv has expressed concern that Russia could intensify missile and drone attacks against power and heating facilities as winter approaches.
Zelenskiy said Egypt, India and Turkey had presented options aimed at restoring safe navigation for merchant vessels in the Black Sea, where commercial shipping has been severely disrupted by attacks on ships and port infrastructure.
“We are waiting for Russia’s response,” Zelenskiy said. He added that Ukraine was prepared to help ensure safe shipping and food security in the Black Sea if Russia was also willing to take concrete steps toward reducing tensions.
The issue has implications beyond Russia and Ukraine because countries across Asia, the Middle East and Africa rely heavily on grain exports from the Black Sea region. Reuters reported that major wheat importers have faced difficulties securing supplies, while global wheat prices have risen amid uncertainty surrounding the region's exports.
The maritime proposal comes as discussions over a separate limited ceasefire involving energy and grain-related targets also gain attention. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday, after meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in New York, that both Russia and Ukraine had expressed interest in a limited ceasefire covering grain and energy-related targets.
Rubio cautioned that reaching such an arrangement would not be easy, particularly because attacks on energy infrastructure have become an important part of both sides' military strategies.
Despite those comments, there was no immediate indication that Moscow had accepted the proposed maritime arrangement. The Kremlin has not publicly endorsed the Black Sea proposals put forward by Egypt, India and Turkey.
Ahead of the Rubio-Lavrov meeting, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there were currently no conditions for moving toward broader peace negotiations, although he said Russia remained open to talks. Lavrov also told the UN Security Council that Moscow would not support what he described as a temporary pause in the fighting if it were used to strengthen Ukraine militarily.
Zelenskiy's call for a maritime truce follows his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in New York on Tuesday. The two leaders also discussed a possible ceasefire covering attacks on energy-related targets.
The diplomatic efforts are taking place against the backdrop of continuing attacks by both sides. Ukraine has increasingly used long-range drones against Russian oil refineries, warehouses and port infrastructure, while Russia has continued its missile and drone campaign against Ukrainian targets. Zelenskiy warned at the UN that if an agreement on attacks against energy infrastructure cannot be reached before winter, Ukraine would respond to Russian attacks.
Zelenskiy has also said he would be prepared to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in a trilateral meeting involving Trump, although no such meeting has been confirmed.
For now, the proposed Black Sea arrangement remains dependent on whether Russia agrees to the terms or presents its own conditions. The discussions involving maritime shipping, grain exports and energy infrastructure represent limited areas where the two sides could potentially pursue de-escalation even as broader negotiations to end the war remain unresolved.