Meeting of the Presidents of Turkey and Russia; Erdogan: Revival of the 'Grain Agreement' Will Soon Be Possible

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkey, said on Monday, September 4, after meeting with Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, in Sochi, that the revival of the Black Sea grain agreement will soon be possible. Erdogan, who previously played a significant role in convincing Putin to stay in the agreement, along with the United Nations, is working to bring Russia back to the deal. In his first face-to-face meeting with his Russian counterpart since 2022, Erdogan stated, 'As Turkey, we believe that we will reach an agreement that will meet expectations in a short time.' Erdogan noted that Russia's expectations are well-known and that shortcomings must be addressed, adding, 'Ankara and the UN have been working on a new package to alleviate Moscow's concerns.' Vladimir Putin also stated that his country would return to the Black Sea grain agreement if the West adheres to its understanding with the UN regarding the facilitation of food and fertilizer exports from Russia. Putin added, 'As I told President [Erdogan] again today, we are ready to consider the possibility of reviving the grain agreement—we will do this as soon as the complete removal of restrictions on the export of Russian agricultural products is implemented.' The Russian President rejected Western officials' claims that Moscow's actions have created a food crisis in the world, asserting that there is no shortage of food globally. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who shared images of his bilateral meeting with Putin on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), also mentioned discussions with 'my dear friend, Mr. Putin' regarding trade, energy, tourism, economy, and financial issues. The Black Sea grain agreement, which was signed last year with the mediation of Turkey and the UN between Kyiv and Moscow, allowed for the safe export of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea. Ankara has been trying in recent weeks to convince Moscow to re-implement this agreement. Ukraine and Turkey state that the Black Sea grain agreement should be resumed. Russia targeted Ukrainian grain silos in airstrikes. Following Russian drone attacks on the port city of Odessa, three people were injured. Ukraine announced the opening of a 'humanitarian corridor' for civilian ships in the Black Sea.