Vedomosti: Kiev asks NATO to overturn Russia's ban on maritime traffic to Ukrainian ports

The new NATO-Ukraine Council held a closed-door meeting in Brussels on July 26 to discuss the Black Sea situation. The meeting had been requested by Ukraine. NATO later released a brief statement, vowing to step up reconnaissance in the region, Vedomosti notes.

Tensions around grain supplies via the Black Sea flared up after Russia refused to agree to a further extension of the grain deal on July 17. The Russian Defense Ministry said that all ships bound for Ukraine's Black Sea ports would be deemed potential carriers of military cargo starting on July 20. In response, Kiev threatened to sink vessels heading to Russian ports via the Black Sea. The Russian Armed Forces carried out strikes on port infrastructure facilities in Odessa and other Ukrainian ports.

Attempts to militarize the Black Sea at the expense of third countries is one of Ukraine's policy goals in the wake of the grain deal's demise, Denis Denisov, an expert at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, noted. However, the deployment of NATO naval forces would mean a direct conflict with Russia.

NATO-Ukraine Council Condemns Russia's Withdrawal From Black Sea Grain Deal | RFERL |

Amnesia and Gaza Genocide