On Monday, the leaders of Russia and Turkey are set to convene, where Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan aims to convince Russia to resurrect a previous agreement that enabled Ukraine to continue its grain and commodity exports through three Black Sea ports, despite the ongoing conflict.
On Monday, the Presidents of Russia and Turkey convened, with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan endeavoring to convince Russia to resurrect an agreement that allowed Ukraine to export grain and other commodities from three Black Sea ports, despite the ongoing war.
In July, Russian President Vladimir Putin declined to extend the agreement, which had been brokered by Turkey and the United Nations a year earlier. Russia raised concerns that a parallel agreement, which promised to eliminate obstacles to Russian exports of food and fertilizer, had not been honored. They contended that shipping and insurance restrictions were hindering their agricultural trade, despite having shipped record quantities of wheat since the previous year.
The leaders met in the Black Sea city of Sochi, where the Russian President maintains a residence.
Following Putin's withdrawal from the initiative, Erdogan has consistently pledged to renew the arrangements that had helped avert a food crisis in parts of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Ukraine and Russia are significant suppliers of wheat, barley, sunflower oil, and other essential goods relied upon by developing nations.
Data from the Istanbul-based Joint Coordination Center, responsible for overseeing Ukraine's shipments, reveals that 57% of the grain exported from Ukraine found its way to developing nations, with China emerging as the primary recipient, accounting for nearly a quarter of the total food imports.
Ukraine's primary Black Sea port area, Odesa, has been the target of repeated attacks by Russia. Just this Monday, the Ukrainian air force reported intercepting 23 out of 32 drones aimed at the Odesa and Dnipropetrovsk regions. However, they did not specify the extent of the damage caused by the drones that managed to penetrate their defenses.
Throughout the 18-month conflict in Ukraine, the Turkish President has maintained a close relationship with Russia's Putin. Turkey has notably refrained from joining Western sanctions against Russia in the wake of its invasion, solidifying its position as a key trading partner and logistical hub for Russia's global trade operations.
As a member of NATO, Turkey has also provided support to Ukraine, including arms shipments, meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and backing Kyiv's aspiration to join the NATO alliance.
Erdogan stirred tensions with Moscow in July by permitting the return of five Ukrainian commanders to their homeland. These soldiers had been captured by Russia and subsequently handed over to Turkey on the condition that they remain there for the duration of the conflict.
Both Putin and Erdogan, who are authoritative leaders with over two decades in power, are reported to share a close rapport. This bond was forged in the aftermath of a failed coup against Erdogan in 2016, during which Putin was the first major leader to extend his support.
The Sochi summit comes on the heels of discussions between the Russian and Turkish foreign ministers on Thursday, during which Russia presented a list of conditions that the Western nations must fulfill for Ukraine's Black Sea exports to be reinstated.
Erdogan has signaled his alignment with Putin's stance. In July, he acknowledged that Putin held "specific expectations from Western countries" concerning the Black Sea deal and emphasized the significance of these nations taking action in this regard.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres recently dispatched "concrete proposals" to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in an effort to facilitate Russian exports to global markets and facilitate the revival of the Black Sea initiative. However, Lavrov expressed dissatisfaction with the content of the letter.
Characterizing Turkey's efforts to reinvigorate the agreement as "intense," Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan described it as a "process aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of Russia's position and demands and working towards meeting them."
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