Putin & Erdogan Spoke Over Call, Discussed Grain Deal

The Kremlin said Erdogan thanked Putin for his "positive attitude" in extending the Black Sea grain deal and expressed his "understanding of the Russian side's principled position to achieve full implementation of the second part of the agreement, removing barriers for Russia's agricultural products."

On Monday, Russia laid out the conditions for consenting to any future extension of the Black Sea grain deal, and Putin threatened to deliver free food to African countries if those conditions were not met.

According to the Kremlin, Putin and Ergodan "expressed satisfaction with the good dynamics of trade and economic relations, the effective realization of cooperative strategic projects in the energy sector, including gas deliveries and the construction of the Akkuyu nuclear power station in Turkey." According to the report, they also addressed the normalization of Turkish-Syrian relations.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative is an agreement reached in July 2022 between Ukraine and Russia, brokered by the UN and Turkey, to secure safe passage for ships transporting grain and oilseeds, two of Ukraine's most important exports.

The United Nations recently stressed that the Black Sea grain agreement says that it will be extended for 120 days, despite Russia's claim that it agreed to a 60-day extension following negotiations in Geneva.

The Russian Federation thinks that the guarantees received at this moment are adequate and that the agreement - the Initiative for the Secure Passage of Grain and Food from Ukrainian Ports - should be resumed.