Sept. 1 (UPI) —
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are set to meet in Sochi on Monday to discuss the Ukrainian grain deal that Russia recently backed out of, according to an announcement by the Kremlin on Friday.
The meeting between Putin and Erdogan, which will last about four hours, is scheduled for the middle of the day, as stated by Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov.
Russia withdrew from the Ukrainian grain deal on July 17, citing unfair implementation. Diplomatic talks failed to reach an agreement on Thursday.
Moscow is proposing a new deal that would allow direct grain shipments to Turkey, bypassing Ukraine, and then distribute the grain to countries facing food insecurity.
During the Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum in St. Petersburg in July, Putin described the deal as a “fairer system of resource distribution” and pledged to provide free grain to six African allies of Russia.
Ukraine has presented its own proposal, which excludes Russia.
Ukraine’s Foreign Affairs Ministry stated on Thursday that supporting Russian grain exports in the Black Sea while excluding Ukrainian grain exports would violate international obligations and international law.
However, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan expressed his government’s commitment on Thursday to work with the United Nations in salvaging the original deal while addressing Russia’s concerns.
The worldwide food shortage caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, including its blockade in the Black Sea, heavily affected many developing nations since Ukraine was one of the leading exporters of grain.
Erdogan and the United Nations played a crucial role in brokering a deal that lifted the sea blockade on Ukraine, enabling the export of approximately 25 million tons of grain stranded at its Black Sea ports. In return, Russia was allowed to continue its fertilizer exports.
However, Russia has since launched sustained attacks on Ukrainian ports and grain storage facilities, resulting in the destruction of 60,000 tons of grain earmarked for export, according to Ukrainian officials.
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