ATLANTA, October 31, 2026 (DAILYNWZ) — The United States and Canada are stepping up efforts to secure a limited ceasefire in the Black Sea, seeking to protect grain and energy shipments from Russian and Ukrainian attacks as concerns grow over global food supplies and the risk of further escalation in the war.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday that international interest was increasing in arrangements to halt attacks on commercial vessels, while Washington reviews proposals from Turkey and India to restore the flow of grain shipments.
Speaking after a two-day meeting of Group of 20 foreign ministers in Atlanta, Rubio stressed that such an agreement would not end the war, now in its fifth year, but could address one of its most damaging international consequences.
“This is threatening the world for food security and some energy security as well,” he said, describing a limited ceasefire as a practical step that could reduce risks to maritime trade.
Rubio said there was growing interest, although not yet clear momentum, behind partial agreements to stop attacks on grain-carrying vessels and, in some cases, energy shipments. He added that Washington remained committed to securing a broader negotiated settlement, despite the absence of an immediate prospect for an agreement.
The talks also exposed divisions among G20 members over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East. The participation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov drew objections from European and Canadian officials, who argued that inviting him risked normalising Moscow’s aggression.
Rubio defended Lavrov’s participation, saying diplomatic efforts to end the war would be impossible without engaging Russia. He acknowledged, however, that a settlement was not close. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha was not invited, although Rubio said Washington remained in frequent contact with Ukrainian officials.
Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand said she would not have invited Lavrov but used Friday’s closed-door meeting to confront him over Russia’s actions.
She said she had directly criticised Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, the alleged abduction of Ukrainian children and attacks on Ukrainian vessels in the Black Sea, describing these actions as violations of international law and international humanitarian law.
Anand said she had also discussed a limited maritime ceasefire with Sybiha and her Indian counterpart, alongside a proposed halt to attacks on Ukraine’s electricity infrastructure.
With winter approaching, Canada and other countries are seeking to prevent further damage to Ukraine’s energy network while protecting food supply chains. Anand said Ottawa had been involved in detailed discussions on a Black Sea ceasefire since the United Nations General Assembly in September.
She identified India and Egypt among the countries particularly affected by the disruption, saying both wanted guarantees for the safety of their ships and crews. Ukraine was fully engaged in the discussions, she said, but Russia had yet to demonstrate a willingness to move forward.
Lavrov said Friday that Moscow’s position remained unchanged, insisting Russia could not accept Ukraine as a military threat to what it described as the Russian Federation’s legitimate security interests, according to Russian news agencies.
Rubio also warned that the conflict risked spreading beyond Ukraine, citing sabotage operations and drone strikes that had entered NATO airspace.
The G20 meeting ended without a joint statement or agreement on the major issues confronting the world’s largest economies.
On the sidelines, Rubio said he had briefly discussed with Lavrov the possibility of a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin at next month’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting or the G20 leaders’ summit scheduled for December at Trump’s Doral golf resort in Miami.
He said there was no firm commitment from Putin to attend the Miami summit and did not rule out Trump inviting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, particularly “if something positive could happen as a result of him attending.”