Türkiye's Erdogan Seeks to Salvage Ukraine Grain Deal

On Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that a multilateral deal allowed for shipments of grain and other agricultural products from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports could be saved.

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The Black Sea Grain Initiative, brokered by Türkiye and the United Nations to help alleviate the global food crisis after the Russia-Ukraine conflict, expired on Monday. Moscow said the deal ended and it would not be renewed unless its conditions were met.

“Despite the statement made today, I believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants the continuation of this humanitarian bridge,” Erdogan said, referring to the accord.

Erdogan was speaking to reporters at an Istanbul airport before embarking on a visit to Saudi Arabia. He said that he could speak by phone with Putin before a long-awaited trip expected to be made by the Russian leader to Türkiye in August.

A few hours earlier, Kremlim spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced that the agreements underlying the Black Sea Grain Deal (BSGD) have been terminated.

Nevertheless, he also mentioned that Russia would be willing to reactivate the grain deal as soon as all the parties involved follow the previously agreed procedures.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova informed that her country has officially notified Turkey, Ukraine and the United Nations that Russia will not renew the BSGD.

The United Nations and Türkiye brokered the Black Sea Grain Initiative with Russia and Ukraine to provide a humanitarian maritime corridor for ships with food and fertilizer exports from three designated Ukrainian Black Sea ports in July 2022. 

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