Baltic states demand EU blocks Russian grain routes through Europe
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania urge Brussels to halt Russian grain transit via EU ports and rail networks.
The Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have urged the European Union to implement a bloc-wide ban on Russian grain transit. The three nations submitted a joint letter to European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, advocating for restrictions on Russian agricultural exports moving through EU territory to international markets.
The appeal, signed by Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal, Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs, and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, argues that Russia is systematically targeting Ukrainian ports and transport infrastructure while simultaneously seeking alternative routes for its own grain exports—including through the Baltic region.
Shift in Russian grain flows: russian grain transit
The call comes as Russian grain exports rapidly abandon the Black Sea. According to data from brokerage IFCHOR Galbraiths, Russian Baltic and continental ports loaded 1.16 million tonnes of grain in September, more than five times the 216,000 tonnes recorded in August.
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The ports of Ust-Luga and Vysotsk handled 545,000 tonnes and 374,000 tonnes, respectively. Meanwhile, monitored shipments from the Black Sea and Azov Sea collapsed from 1.39 million tonnes to just 201,000 tonnes over the same period. As a result, the Baltic’s share of total Russian grain exports surged from 12.6% in August to 80.7% in September.
Moscow has facilitated this shift through subsidized rail transport, the conversion of bulk-handling terminals for grain, and priority access for grain shipments on congested northern rail routes. The Arctic port of Murmansk is also preparing to handle its first grain cargoes this month, though infrastructure limitations and economic viability remain concerns. Despite these efforts, total monitored Russian grain loadings across all regions fell by 16% month-on-month in September, indicating that alternative routes have yet to fully compensate for the loss of Black Sea capacity.
Transporting grain from Baltic ports to key markets like Egypt costs 30% to 35% more per tonne than shipping from traditional Black Sea ports, according to IFCHOR Galbraiths. Russia has attempted to offset these higher costs through temporary export-duty relief and rail subsidies.
National measures and EU-wide push
Estonia has already taken unilateral action, approving sanctions earlier this month that prohibit the transit of Russian and Belarusian grain through its ports, covering products under the CN 10 commodity classification. Latvia has also tightened checks on grain origins at its ports since September and is preparing additional measures to block cargo suspected of originating in occupied Ukrainian territory.
The Baltic leaders argue that an EU-wide ban would close off European ports and transport corridors as alternative export routes, forcing Russia to rely exclusively on its own infrastructure. While such a ban would not prevent direct shipments from Russian ports like Ust-Luga and Vysotsk, it would complicate Moscow’s efforts to bypass Black Sea disruptions. The three governments are pressing Brussels to adopt common rules rather than a patchwork of national restrictions.
The shift in grain flows has had mixed effects on shipping markets. Longer voyages from the Baltic to North African and Mediterranean buyers have provided some support for tonne-mile demand, particularly for geared bulkers. However, analysts note that Baltic routes have not fully replaced the lost Black Sea volumes, which remain critical for global grain supplies.
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