--- title: "Zelensky: Ukraine preparing allies' talks with Moscow over attacks on ports" description: "Following the \"Coalition of the Willing\" meeting in Kyiv, Zelensky stated that Ukraine is considering allies' talks with Moscow and the reinforcement of air defense around the grain corridor. There is no total blockade of the ports." date: 2026-08-24T21:32:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/zelensky-ukraine-ports-talks-with-moscow tags: [ukraine, zelensky, ports, grain-export, coalition-of-the-willing, air-defense] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Zelensky: Ukraine preparing allies' talks with Moscow over attacks on ports ![Volodymyr Zelenskyy working on a laptop in his office, discussing negotiations with Moscow](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/24/zelensky-ukraina-poryty-peregovory-s-moskvoy/zelensky-ukraina-poryty-peregovory-s-moskvoy-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Following the "Coalition of the Willing" meeting in Kyiv, Zelensky stated that Ukraine is considering allies' talks with Moscow and the reinforcement of air defense around the grain corridor. - Zelensky said there is no total blockade of the ports: three to four vessels a day are entering and leaving Greater Odesa. - FT analysts warn of the risk of a food crisis; monthly grain shipments could fall by nearly a third. - Accounts of the state of the "Coalition of the Willing" contradict each other: Kyiv calls the format working, while mk.ru says it is "on the verge of dissolution." Following the meeting of the "Coalition of the Willing" held in Kyiv on August 24, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukraine is considering several courses of action in response to Russia's attempts to block the maritime corridor. This was reported by the president's press office, according to RBC-Ukraine. ### Allies' talks and air defense reinforcement Among the measures discussed, Zelensky mentioned the work of several countries within a negotiation process with the Russian side. In parallel, he said, air defense systems around the so-called grain corridor are planned to be reinforced. Thus, Kyiv is combining diplomatic and military tracks in its response to strikes on port infrastructure. ### No total blockade The president emphasized that, despite the strikes, Russia has not fully blocked the operation of Ukrainian ports. "There is no total blockade today. There is an attempt at a total blockade, but three to four ships a day are entering and leaving Greater Odesa, despite the fact that they are striking port infrastructure," he said. This means that shipping is functioning in a limited but uninterrupted mode. ### Blow to grain exports and the economy Attacks on the seaports have already led to a reduction in grain exports abroad, which made up a significant share of Ukrainian exports. According to data cited by RBC-Ukraine, a rise in the number of Russian strikes on ports and vessels could cut monthly grain shipments by nearly a third. Financial Times analysts, also referenced by the media, warned that strikes on grain exports pose a threat of a global food crisis. For Kyiv this is a double blow: its own exports are falling, and along with them the economic pressure on Russia that Ukraine is trying to maintain, including through strikes on facilities such as Wildberries, is weakening. ### Contradictory data Here the versions of the two sides diverge. On the one hand, official Kyiv presents the "Coalition of the Willing" as a functioning working format: following the August 24 meeting, specific decisions were announced β€” a negotiation track with Moscow and the reinforcement of air defense. On the other hand, the Russian outlet mk.ru reported as early as August 3, 2026, that the "Coalition of the Willing" is "on the verge of dissolution" and that Zelensky "risks being left with an empty pot." In other words, the two sides' assessments of the format's viability are fundamentally opposite, and Kyiv's claims about its effectiveness are disputed by the Russian side. Additional context: earlier, in the autumn of 2025, the "Coalition of the Willing" format was discussed in connection with arms deliveries (including Mirage fighter jets) and negotiations on security guarantees in Paris, which confirms its role as a platform for military-political coordination. However, the current statements on the ports are dated August 24, 2026. ## πŸ” Fact-Check Verification - [Zelensky explained how Ukraine will fight Russian attacks on the ports](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/zelenskiy-rozpoviv-k-ukrayina-borotimetsya-1787606784.html) - ΠŸΠ΅Ρ€Π²ΠΈΡ‡Π½Ρ‹ΠΉ источник заявлСний ЗСлСнского ΠΏΠΎ ΠΈΡ‚ΠΎΠ³Π°ΠΌ засСдания Β«ΠšΠΎΠ°Π»ΠΈΡ†ΠΈΠΈ ΠΆΠ΅Π»Π°ΡŽΡ‰ΠΈΡ…Β»: ΠΏΠ΅Ρ€Π΅Π³ΠΎΠ²ΠΎΡ€Π½Ρ‹ΠΉ Ρ‚Ρ€Π΅ΠΊ с Москвой, усилСниС ΠŸΠ’Πž Π·Π΅Ρ€Π½ΠΎΠ²ΠΎΠ³ΠΎ ΠΊΠΎΡ€ΠΈΠ΄ΠΎΡ€Π°, отсутствиС Ρ‚ΠΎΡ‚Π°Π»ΡŒΠ½ΠΎΠΉ Π±Π»ΠΎΠΊΠΈΡ€ΠΎΠ²ΠΊΠΈ (3-4 судна Π² дСнь ΠΈΠ· Π‘ΠΎΠ»ΡŒΡˆΠΎΠΉ ΠžΠ΄Π΅ΡΡΡ‹). - ["Coalition of the Willing" on the verge of dissolution: Zelensky risks being left with an empty pot](https://www.mk.ru/politics/2026/08/03/koaliciya-zhelayushhikh-na-grani-rospuska-zelenskiy-riskuet-ostatsya-u-razbitogo-koryta.html) - Российская ΠΏΠΎΠ΄Π°Ρ‡Π° (03.08.2026) Ρ…Π°Ρ€Π°ΠΊΡ‚Π΅Ρ€ΠΈΠ·ΡƒΠ΅Ρ‚ Ρ„ΠΎΡ€ΠΌΠ°Ρ‚ ΠΊΠ°ΠΊ находящийся Π½Π° Π³Ρ€Π°Π½ΠΈ роспуска β€” ΠΏΡ€ΠΎΡ‚ΠΈΠ²ΠΎΡ€Π΅Ρ‡ΠΈΡ‚ украинской ΠΎΡ†Π΅Π½ΠΊΠ΅ Π΅Π³ΠΎ работоспособности; использовано Π² Π±Π»ΠΎΠΊΠ΅ Β«ΠŸΡ€ΠΎΡ‚ΠΈΠ²ΠΎΡ€Π΅Ρ‡ΠΈΠ²Ρ‹Π΅ Π΄Π°Π½Π½Ρ‹Π΅Β». - [Zelensky: "The third good event for Ukraine in a few days." How the meeting went ...](https://www.rfi.fr/ru/%D1%83%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0/20251024-%D0%BC%D0%B0%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BD-%D1%84%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%86%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%B2-%D0%B1%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%B6%D0%B0%D0%B9%D1%88%D0%B8%D0%B5-%D0%B4%D0%BD%D0%B8-%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%82-%D1%83%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B5-%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D1%8B%D0%B5-%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B1%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B8-mirage-%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%BA-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%88%D0%BB%D0%BE-%D0%B7%D0%B0%D1%81%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B5-%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B8%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%B8-%D0%B6%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B0%D1%8E%D1%89%D0%B8%D1%85) - Π€ΠΎΠ½ΠΎΠ²Ρ‹ΠΉ контСкст (осСнь 2025): поставки Mirage, Ρ€Π°Π±ΠΎΡ‚Π° Β«ΠšΠΎΠ°Π»ΠΈΡ†ΠΈΠΈ ΠΆΠ΅Π»Π°ΡŽΡ‰ΠΈΡ…Β». НС ΠΏΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π°Π΅Ρ‚ событиС 24.08.2026, использован Ρ‚ΠΎΠ»ΡŒΠΊΠΎ ΠΊΠ°ΠΊ прСдыстория. - [Zelensky to arrive in Paris this week to discuss security guarantees with the "coalition ..."](https://www.rfi.fr/ru/%D1%84%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%86%D0%B8%D1%8F/20250901-%D0%B7%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%B5%D1%82-%D0%B2-%D0%BF%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B6-%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D1%8D%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B9-%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B5-%D0%B4%D0%BB%D1%8F-%D0%BE%D0%B1%D1%81%D1%83%D0%B6%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%B3%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%B9-%D0%B1%D0%B5%D0%B7%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BD%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8) - Π€ΠΎΠ½ΠΎΠ²Ρ‹ΠΉ контСкст (осСнь 2025): поставки Mirage, Ρ€Π°Π±ΠΎΡ‚Π° Β«ΠšΠΎΠ°Π»ΠΈΡ†ΠΈΠΈ ΠΆΠ΅Π»Π°ΡŽΡ‰ΠΈΡ…Β». НС ΠΏΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π°Π΅Ρ‚ событиС 24.08.2026, использован Ρ‚ΠΎΠ»ΡŒΠΊΠΎ ΠΊΠ°ΠΊ прСдыстория. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: What did Zelensky say about countering the attacks on the ports? **A:** He reported that Ukraine is considering several options, including talks between several allied countries and Moscow, and the reinforcement of air defense around the grain corridor. ### Q: Are the Ukrainian ports fully blocked? **A:** No. According to Zelensky, there is no total blockade: three to four vessels a day are entering and leaving Greater Odesa, despite the strikes on port infrastructure. ### Q: What are the consequences for grain exports? **A:** Shipments are shrinking; analysts estimate a possible drop in monthly shipments of nearly a third, which, according to a Financial Times warning, threatens a global food crisis. ### Q: What is being said about the state of the "Coalition of the Willing"? **A:** Kyiv presents the format as working (specific decisions following the August 24, 2026 meeting), while mk.ru reported it was "on the verge of dissolution" β€” the two sides' accounts contradict each other.