ANKARA — As a Moscow drone struck a port in Danube, Turkey’s president Tayyip Erdogan discussed the Black Sea grain deal in a telephone call with Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Erdogan’s office confirmed that he emphasized the importance of avoiding steps that could jeopardize the resumption of the Black Sea grain initiative, with the pair agreeing that Putin would visit Turkey. Though a date was not given, a senior Turkish official said that discussions between Ankara and Moscow are ongoing for a visit in late August.
Russia quit the deal that had allowed the safe Black Sea export of Ukraine grain on July 17 and has since targeted Ukrainian agricultural and port infrastructure, launching an attack on Ukraine’s main inland port across the Danube River from Romania on Wednesday.
The attacks destroyed buildings in the port of Izmail and halted ships in their tracks, sending global food prices higher.
“Russian terrorists have once again attacked ports, grain, global food security,” president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Telegram.
Russian state news agency RIA said the port and grain infrastructure hit at the port was housing foreign mercenaries and military hardware and a naval ship repair yard had also been targeted.
Putin reaffirms Russian stance on grain deal in call to Erdogan
Russian president Vladimir Putin told his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday that Moscow was ready to return to the Black Sea grain deal as soon as the West met its obligations with regard to Russia’s own grain exports.
The deal, brokered by Turkey and the United Nations in July 2022, allowed for the safe export of grain from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports. Last month Moscow exited the deal, accusing the West of hampering Russia’s own grain and fertiliser exports.
In a statement on Putin’s call with Erdogan, the Kremlin said: “It was noted that in the conditions of a complete lack of progress in the implementation of the Russian part of the ‘grain deal’, its further extension has lost all meaning.”
It added that Russia would return to the deal “as soon as the West actually fulfils all the obligations to Russia” contained within it.
Russia’s grain and fertiliser exports are not subject to Western sanctions imposed on Moscow over its military actions in Ukraine. But Moscow has said restrictions on payments, logistics and insurance have been a barrier to shipments.
The U.S. envoy to the United Nations said on Tuesday there were “indications” that Russia might be interested in returning to talks about the deal. Asked about those comments on Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed the need for the West to honor parts of the deal concerning Russian exports.