Polish 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. Speaking to reporters on Friday during a two-day meeting of Group of 20 foreign ministers in Atlanta, he said speed mattered because people in the Global South need the grain.

Sikorski, invited by the United States as host nation, said Ukraine must be included in any effort to end Russia's invasion, now in its fifth year. He also argued Moscow must reach a fair end to the war before being allowed to sell energy products once again to Europe, formerly its most lucrative market.

Why a Black Sea pause matters

Grain through the Black Sea has been a recurring pressure point in the war. Safe passage matters not only for Ukraine and Russia as exporters, but for importing countries that rely on those shipments for food supplies and price stability. A limited ceasefire covering shipping lanes would be narrower than a full peace deal, but could still ease supply risks if both sides observed it.

Sikorski framed the idea as a food-security measure first, rather than a concession in wider negotiations. Any arrangement that left Ukraine out would be unlikely to hold politically in Kyiv or among its partners.

The wider G20 discussion

The meeting also touched on Poland's own place in the G20. The United States, which holds the rotating presidency this year, has proposed Poland become a full member. Sikorski welcomed the push.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was reported as calling the invitation counterproductive and a break with seeking consensus. Sikorski added that Britain, which heads the G20 next year, had invited Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to the 2027 leaders' summit in Manchester.