Only Erdoğan can bring Russia back to grain deal: Ukrainian FM

KIEV

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is the only person who can convince Russian President Vladimir Putin to return to the Black Sea Grain Initiative, says Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

"Ukraine is coordinating [efforts] with Erdoğan to return Putin to the Black Sea grain deal, and Erdoğan is coordinating with [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky. This is a common interest," Kuleba said in an interview with Ukrinform, an Ukranian news agency, on Aug. 3.

“Erdoğan is the only leader who can get Putin back to the deal,” Kuleba added.

The agreement, which had been brokered by Türkiye and the United Nations, encountered a setback when Russia decided to withdraw from it on July 17, alleging unfulfilled obligations by its counterparts in Moscow.

In the meantime, Erdoğan on Aug. 4 expressed his alignment with Russia regarding its offer to provide free grain to African countries.

“The grain that will come from Russia through the Black Sea corridor will be turned into flour in our country. We will also carry out its transportation to underdeveloped African countries,” Erdoğan told reporters.

The Agriculture and Forestry Ministry has also started working on the issue, he added.

Both the United Nations and Türkiye have been actively working to revive the grain deal, recognizing its importance in addressing food security concerns and ensuring stable grain prices in the global market.

On Aug. 2, Erdoğan and Putin engaged in a phone conversation to discuss the extension of the crucial deal that had facilitated the export of 33 million tons of grain to world markets.