KYIV, UKRAINE — The United States is not ruling out military solutions among its various options to ensure the safe passage of exported grain from Ukraine, The Wall Street Journal reported on Aug. 15.

Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022, withdrew on July 17 from the Black Sea Grain Initiative which had allowed Ukraine to safely export grain for nearly 12 months from its Black Sea ports despite the two countries being at war. Since then, Russia has bombed multiple grain facilities at ports on the Black Sea and on the Danube River.

The newspaper reported that the United States, Ukraine and other European countries want to get a plan in place that would protect grain ships traveling from ports on Danube River in the event that Russia does not return to the grain deal, which allowed Ukraine to export more than 33 million tonnes of grain. The plan, which according to The Wall Street Journal would involve the expansion of alternative routes, calls for up to 4 million tonnes of grain to be exported per month via the Danube River.

Until recently, Russia only had targeted grain assets in Ukraine southern ports on the Black Sea. But since pulling out of the grain deal four weeks ago, Russia also has bombed grain terminals on the Danube River.

Russia President Vladimir Putin has said his country would only consider returning to the grain deal if its demands were met, including reconnecting Russian state agricultural bank Rosselkhozbank to the SWIFT international payment system. Putin said this would enhance Russia’s ability to export food and fertilizer to the global market.

After having a phone conversation with Putin on Aug. 9, Turkish President Recep Erdogan, who along with the United Nations helped negotiate the Black Sea Grain Initiative, called on Western nations, which have imposed economic sanctions against Russia since the invasion, to “fulfill their promises” to Russia.