Egypt was Russia’s biggest stolen-grain customer. Now it pledges to buy Ukrainian wheat instead.

Egypt has promised to no longer accept Russian grain exported from Ukraine’s occupied territories, and is looking to increase imports of Ukrainian wheat, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported on 3 April.

Russia has exploited Ukrainian industries in occupied territories to export wheat to select countries, sidestepping Western sanctions. These operations have allowed Moscow to keep profiting from occupied regions, with Egypt – Reuters reports – its largest customer and a key node in its grain distribution network. 

Zelenskyy-Sisi call yields grain pledge

The announcement came after a phone call between Zelenskyy and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. 

Zelenskyy said the two leaders discussed regional security, including developments in the Middle East and the Gulf, as well as the potential impact on global energy markets. They agreed that their foreign ministers would maintain direct contact to coordinate on both political and economic issues. 

Zelenskyy also noted Ukraine’s significant potential for military-technical cooperation with Egypt, alongside other areas for bilateral trade and investment.

Putin's hub proposal – and Cairo's pivot

The call comes shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin floated the idea of creating a “grain and energy hub” in Egypt, according to Reuters. 

In a meeting with Egyptian officials on 2 April, Putin suggested that the North African country could serve as a logistics and storage point for Russian energy and commodities heading to Africa and the Middle East. 

While Egyptian authorities reportedly welcomed the proposal, Zelenskyy’s statement suggests Cairo is pivoting away from Russian grain imports in favor of Ukrainian supplies.

What's at stake in the global wheat trade

Russia has relied heavily on Egypt as a market for its wheat, with estimates cited by Reuters indicating purchases of roughly 7.6 million tons this season, similar to last year. 

Much of this grain, Ukrainian officials note, was grown in occupied territories and shipped via Russian-controlled ports, including Sevastopol, often using “ship-to-ship” transfers to hide its true origin and bypass Western sanctions.

Other countries have also received Ukrainian grain exported under Russian control, including Bangladesh, Lebanon, Türkiye, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam, with smaller shipments reaching select Balkan states.

By signaling a willingness to source more wheat from Ukraine, Egypt could reduce its dependence on Russian supplies, while Ukraine gains access to a high-demand market in North Africa.

The decision also underscores how global wheat trade remains closely tied to the war in Ukraine, with countries like Egypt balancing food security needs against geopolitical pressures.