At a meeting in Sochi, Russian President Putin and his Turkish counterpart Erdogan negotiated a revival of the grain agreement. Putin stuck to his demands. But Erdogan was optimistic.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was unable to negotiate a renewal of the grain agreement at a meeting with Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin in Sochi, Russia. At a press conference in Sochi on the Black Sea, Putin confirmed that the Kremlin would only reinstate the agreement once all Russian demands had been met.
But first the restrictions on the export of Russian agricultural products would have to be lifted, it said. Putin once again complained that Western sanctions would hamper the export of Russian grain, fertilizer and agricultural technology. At the same time, the Kremlin chief again announced free Russian grain deliveries to six African countries.
Erdogan seems optimistic
“We believe that the initiative should continue by addressing the shortcomings,” Erdogan said after the meeting. According to him, Turkey and the United Nations are preparing new proposals for the grain agreement. He believes that “a solution will be found in a short time that meets expectations.”
Erdogan had traveled to Russia for the first time in almost a year. The grain agreement was one of the main issues in Sochi. The Turkish President was already optimistic at the beginning of the meeting. “The message that we will send to the world after our meeting will be a significant step, especially for less developed African countries,” Erdogan said. Putin previously stated that he was open to negotiations.
Attacks on port reported shortly before
A few hours before the meeting, Ukraine had again reported Russian attacks on its infrastructure – including the port of Izmail, one of the country’s most important grain export ports.
The EU condemned the attacks. The fact that facilities for the export of Ukrainian grain were being attacked shows once again how Russia’s actions are heating up global food prices and endangering millions of vulnerable people worldwide, said a spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. The action is despicable.
Expert: Attacks show Moscow’s reluctance
In view of the attacks, the security expert Claudia Major had assessed the chances of a renewal of the grain agreement as low even before the meeting. They show that there seems to be little willingness on the part of Russia, she said joint morning magazine from ARD and ZDF. Moscow “obviously has very little interest” and is “still playing for a win”.
Eastern Europe expert Stefan Meister from the German Society for Foreign Relations expressed similar skepticism in an interview tagesschau24: “My impression is that he wants to drive Ukraine out of the market with Russian grain, and is also systematically destroying Ukrainian infrastructure and grain.”
At the same time, there are some demands from Putin – including joining the SWIFT agreement or access to the fertilizer market – which the expert will not agree to. “My impression is that he sets the bar very high, also because he might not want an agreement at all.”
The grain agreement was negotiated by Turkey and the United Nations between Ukraine and Russia in the summer of 2022. Ukraine made it possible to export agricultural goods across the Black Sea. It expired in mid-July and Russia opposed an extension.