16 October 2026
The prime ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania sent a joint letter to the Presidents of the European Council and the European Commission calling for a ban on Russian grain transit through the EU and sanctions on Russian “agricultural oligarchs”. In early October, Estonia already banned the transit of Russian and Belarusian grain through its ports (goods in group CN 10 — cereals under the EU customs nomenclature).
In the conclusions of the 16 October EU summit, leaders did not endorse a general ban. They only called for keeping grain stolen by Russia from occupied Ukrainian territories out of the EU market and for strengthening the “Solidarity Lanes” (land and river routes for Ukrainian grain exports through the EU).
An important detail: with rising risk in the Black Sea, Russia is shifting exports to the Baltic — Russian grain shipments from Baltic ports reached 1.16 million tonnes in September, up from 216,000 tonnes in August, and wheat exports alone via this route could reach about 1.8 million tonnes in October. Freight from the Baltic to Egypt costs 30–35% more than from the Black Sea. For grain trade in the region, this means tighter checks on cargo origin at Baltic ports.
Sources: Marine Insight, 12 October 2026; Splash247, 12 October 2026; Interfax-Ukraine, 15 October 2026; European Council conclusions, 16 October 2026.