Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has urged Russia and Ukraine to deescalate their conflict and revive the grain export deal that allowed Ukraine to ship its grain across the Black Sea. This request was made during a phone conversation between Erdogan and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir V. Putin, marking their first direct contact since Russia unilaterally withdrew from the agreement over two weeks ago. The Russian strikes on Ukrainian port and grain facilities, including the recent attacks overnight, appear to be aimed at preventing Ukraine from exporting its grain by sea.
Erdogan emphasized Turkey’s commitment to restoring the Black Sea deal, which was brokered by Turkey and the United Nations last summer. The statement from Erdogan’s office stated that Turkey will continue its diligent efforts to reinstate the grain deal and stressed the importance of avoiding steps that could escalate tensions in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
In response, the Kremlin restated its position that it would only rejoin the agreement if its conditions are met, indicating no change in its stance since terminating the deal.
Russia’s decision to withdraw from the deal has halted Ukrainian exports permitted under the agreement, leading to a temporary increase in global wheat prices. The deal had played a crucial role in maintaining stability in global food prices and mitigating the effects of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine 17 months ago, as Ukraine is a significant producer of grain and other food products.
Moscow holds control over the Black Sea, the primary route for Ukraine’s grain exports, giving it considerable leverage in any negotiations for a resumption of the agreement. Additionally, Moscow has warned that it will consider any ship approaching Ukrainian Black Sea ports as potentially carrying military cargo.
Russia claims that sanctions imposed by the United States and Ukraine’s European allies have hindered its ability to sell agricultural products and demands the inclusion of its agricultural bank in the international SWIFT banking system to facilitate its own grain and other exports.
The Kremlin’s statement highlighted the lack of progress in meeting its conditions and mentioned Russia’s willingness to provide free grain to certain African countries facing a hunger crisis exacerbated by its decision to terminate the deal.
Notably, President Erdogan, in contrast to other NATO members, has maintained close ties with Putin since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Some analysts suggest that a visit by Putin to Turkey could be crucial in reviving the deal. The Turkish statement also confirmed that Putin would visit Erdogan without specifying a specific timeline, while the Kremlin statement only mentioned preparations for a potential meeting between the leaders.
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