In a recent meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Sochi, Russian President Vladimir Putin restated his stance on the reinstatement of a United Nations-brokered deal to safely ship Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea. However, he emphasized that this would only happen after the West met Moscow's demands regarding its agricultural exports.
The background of this dispute lies in Russia's refusal to extend the grain deal in July. Moscow expressed grievances that a parallel agreement, promising to remove obstacles to Russian exports of food and fertilizer, had not been established. Putin claimed that restrictions on shipping and insurance were hampering Russia's agricultural trade, despite record amounts of wheat shipped since last year.
During the meeting, Putin also highlighted the importance of not using Black Sea corridors for military purposes, stressing that Russia could return to the deal "within days" if these commitments were met.
Erdogan expressed hope for a breakthrough, revealing that Turkey and the UN had collaborated on a new package of proposals to resolve the issue. Turkish President acting as a mediator between Ukraine and Russia, focused on the need to continue the initiative by addressing its shortcomings.
To diminish potential food shortages, Putin announced that Russia is close to completing agreements with six African states to supply grains for free and provide free delivery and logistics in the coming weeks. He alleged that a significant portion of the grain exported via the Black Sea deal ended up in Western countries rather than reaching those in need.
West's Reaction to Russia’s Stance
The United States and the European Union (EU) dismissed Russia's complaints as baseless, arguing that their sanctions did not target Russian grain and fertilizers. If the agreement fails to be revived, it could have drastic impacts on several African countries that heavily rely on Ukrainian and Russian grain.Hopes were initially high in Turkey for Erdogan to convince Putin to return to the Black Sea grain deal.
Reports suggest that Ankara is working to persuade some Western countries to allow Russia back into the international payment system, a significant move that could breach Western-imposed sanctions.
Despite Erdogan's close ties with Putin during the Ukraine conflict, Turkey has maintained its support for Ukraine, sending arms and backing Kyiv's bid to join NATO.In response to the meeting's outcome, Ukraine has taken a sensible approach, setting up its corridor for grain exports from the port of Odesa. However, Russia has issued threats to treat all ships calling at Ukrainian ports as potential military targets, further complicating the situation.
The European Union condemned recent Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure used for grain exports, emphasizing that these actions are driving up global food prices and endangering vulnerable populations worldwide. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock criticized Putin's decision to block the Black Sea grain deal, describing it as a "cynical" move while applauding Erdogan's efforts to revive the agreement.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the outcome of the Black Sea grain deal remains uncertain, with significant implications for global food supplies and geopolitical relations. Turkey is trying its best to compensate for the Russian and Western demands, as Turkey is suffering due to restrictions on the export of grains.
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