Poland's Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski has called for a rapid ceasefire in the Black Sea that would allow safe passage for grain shipments from both Ukraine and Russia, arguing that countries in the Global South urgently need the food. Speaking to reporters during a two-day meeting of foreign ministers from the Group of 20 major economies in Atlanta, Sikorski said he had spoken in favour of acting quickly because people in developing countries depend on those supplies. He also said Moscow must end its war against Ukraine before being allowed to resume energy sales to Europe.

The appeal comes as Russia's invasion of Ukraine enters its fifth year, with Black Sea shipping still exposed to the risks of a war that has repeatedly disrupted one of the world's most important routes for wheat, corn and other staples. A limited ceasefire focused on shipping, Sikorski suggested, could be agreed faster than a full peace settlement.

Ukraine must be included, Sikorski says

Sikorski stressed that Ukraine must be part of any effort to end the war, and he welcomed a United States proposal that Poland become a full member of the G20. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Poland deserved full membership, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov criticised the invitation to Poland as counterproductive and a break with the practice of seeking consensus. Sikorski added that Britain, which will chair the G20 next year, had already invited Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to the 2027 leaders' summit in Manchester.

What happens next

For now, Sikorski's intervention puts food security back at the centre of the Atlanta discussions, linking a regional war to dinner tables far beyond Europe.