Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are scheduled to meet in Sochi on Monday to discuss the reopening of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which aims to ensure safe food shipments from Ukraine to developing nations. The meeting, mediated by Erdogan, seeks to address Putin’s demand for an alleviation of Western sanctions on Russia’s agricultural sector before rejoining the grain deal. Putin expressed his disappointment at not receiving the expected relief from sanctions. However, he stated that Russia is ready to resume the deal once its commitments are fulfilled. Erdogan emphasized the importance of addressing Russian concerns over sanctions, which were imposed by Western nations in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2021.
The United States and several Western countries have imposed significant sanctions on Russia in various domains since the start of the Kremlin’s invasion. Putin asserted, “We have completed the logistic work to send one million tons of grain to poor countries,” showing Russia’s commitment to the deal. He added that Turkey has taken responsibility for its role in the agreement. Erdogan expressed optimism about reaching a resolution but acknowledged concerns about the destination of grain shipments, with almost half of them reportedly ending up in Europe instead of impoverished African countries as initially intended.
The meeting took place as Ukraine accused Russia of targeting key port infrastructure over the weekend. Ukraine reported intercepting 22 out of the 25 drones launched by Russia, while the remaining drones hit targets in the southern Odesa region. Ukraine initially claimed that the attack affected Romanian territory, prompting denials from Romania. Nevertheless, Ukraine confirmed damage to its port infrastructure along the Danube River, resulting in a fire that was promptly extinguished. Two civilians were injured but received medical assistance.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has consistently advocated for the safe export of grain and foodstuff from Ukraine. Last week, Guterres sent a letter to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, presenting proposals to create favorable conditions for resuming the grain deal. Guterres highlighted the importance of stability in the Black Sea initiative and emphasized the need for a functional arrangement that benefits all parties involved.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
