Baltic states urge EU to ban Russian grain transit

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania sent a joint letter to the EU on October 9 urging an urgent ban on Russian grain transit through EU territory, as Russian grain loadings shift sharply from the Black Sea to Baltic ports.

Why it matters: Russian Baltic grain loadings surged more than fivefold to 1.16 million tonnes in September as Black Sea volumes collapsed, so an EU transit ban would close a major escape valve for Moscow's grain exports — but it needs Brussels to act, and nothing has been decided yet.

Data as of Sunday, October 11, 2026. The joint letter is confirmed by the Estonian government's own press release; the loading figures come from IFCHOR Galbraiths research via Splash247. The Splash247 article page itself was unreachable (Cloudflare challenge), so its substance comes from the search-indexed summary; the core facts are corroborated by the official government release and the Reuters-relayed maritime press account.

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania sent a joint letter on October 9 to European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urging the EU to ban the transit of Russian grain through its territory “as an urgent measure,” the Estonian government said. Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal, who signed with Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, intends to raise the issue at next week’s European Council meeting.

The three leaders argued that Russia is bombing Ukrainian ports and blocking Ukrainian grain from reaching global markets while seeking to earn revenue by moving its own grain through the EU, writing that “our infrastructure must not help Russia finance its war.” Research from IFCHOR Galbraiths, cited by Splash247, shows grain loadings from Russian Baltic and continental ports surged to 1.16 million tonnes in September, more than five times August’s 216,000 tonnes, while monitored Russian Black Sea and Azov loadings collapsed from 1.39 million to 201,000 tonnes — lifting the Baltic’s share of combined shipments from 12.6 percent to 80.7 percent in a month. No EU decision has been made, and the letter also asks for strengthened economic sanctions against Moscow.

Baltic states urge EU to ban Russian grain transit

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