MOSCOW — In closely watched talks in the southern Russian resort city of Sochi, Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected efforts by his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to revive a United Nations-backed deal to allow the safe passage of grain from Ukraine — the latest setback in the grain deal since Moscow exited it in July.
In a news conference at the conclusion of the one-day summit on Monday, Putin recycled a litany of complaints about the U.N. deal, arguing the agreement helped Ukraine export its grain but repeatedly failed to live up to promises to ease Russia’s agriculture trade.
“As often happens with our Western partners, they cheated us,” Putin said.
The Kremlin leader told Erdogan that Russia was open to restarting the grain deal — but only once Western-imposed restrictions on banking and logistics were lifted.
“We’re not against the deal. We’re ready to rejoin immediately, but only once the promises made to us have been fulfilled,” added the Russian leader.
Putin also repeated another familiar Russian trope: that the Ukraine grain deal mostly benefited wealthier countries.
Erdogan appeared to reject that notion — saying the grain deal had indeed benefited poorer countries — and he expressed hope Russia would eventually rejoin the agreement he had helped craft.
“As Turkey, we believe that we will reach a solution that will meet the expectations in a short time,” Erdogan said.
Since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, Russia has imposed a de facto blockade on Black Sea shipping, leaving commercial vessels unwilling to enter Ukrainian ports. But in July last year, the U.N. and Turkey brokered an arrangement formally called the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which enabled Ukraine’s wheat and other farm goods to head back to world markets.
The U.N. noted the initiative allowed nearly 33 million metric tons (36 million tons) of grain and other commodities to leave three Ukrainian ports safely despite the war.
U.N. officials say they have repeatedly tried to assuage Moscow’s concerns — even offering “concrete proposals” ahead of the Erdogan talks.
With the grain deal remaining in limbo, the Turkish leader indicated his country was ready to help Russia move forward with a humanitarian initiative to provide free grain to six African countries — most of them Kremlin allies.
Since exiting the U.N. agreement, Moscow has taken to repeatedly attacking Ukraine’s grain facilities in an apparent bid to further gut the country’s agricultural economy.
Indeed, Russia launched missile strikes on grain stores in the Odesa region near Ukraine’s border with NATO ally Romania, just a day before Erdogan’s arrival.
Russia has also threatened to fire on commercial ships attempting to circumvent a Russian blockade — calling them legitimate military targets.
In his statement, Putin accused Ukraine of abusing the grain deal’s humanitarian shipping corridor to strike civilian infrastructure — an apparent reference to repeated Ukrainian attacks on a key bridge linking the Russian mainland to Crimea.
Ukraine argues it respected the humanitarian corridor but that the bridge itself remains a legitimate target given its role in supplying Russian forces operating in southern Ukraine.
Erdogan can now shut up about being a “successful negotiator”.
“With the grain deal remaining in limbo, the Turkish leader indicated his country was ready to help Russia move forward with a humanitarian initiative to provide free grain to six African countries — most of them Kremlin allies.”
No surprise there. Get fucked Erdoğan.
Putins asking for some bs that ain’t guna happen..
Weird, its almost like them indiscriminately bombing port facilities was them saying they’re done with grain deals.
Use NATO country flagged vessels and tell Russia to fuck off.
Hopefully Turkey, China, and Africa take this as a personal insult from Putin.
I don’t care for Erdogan, but it’s Russia who failed, not Turkey.
Surprised Pikachu face.
I clearly remember them saying the sanctions would not be a issue and that they in fact made them “stronger”.
Putin is vermin. Needs eradication
The outcome will be decided for Russia. And they cannot do anything about it.
Turkey should limit how much Russia is allowed to use the Black Sea then
Russia is refusing because the grain export deals Ukraine is doing over land with the EU are proving to be so successful (rail corridors etc using huge US donated trains many hundreds of carriages long, already up and running through Poland and Romania to ports on their coats).
They want Ukraine to stop doing that first before they’ll come to the negotiating table, which is laughable but it was also the Russian position on gas which used to transit through Ukraine to the EU.
Nobody has ever tried to stop ruzzia from shipping grains or fertilizers, agricultural products are not sanctioned. putin is a lying POS.
Turkey should just let a carrier group and a few subs through the bosphorous. That should send the right message.
Let Russia wear their evil. All sanctions would be lifted if Russia left Ukraine and went home where they belong.
17 comments
MOSCOW — In closely watched talks in the southern Russian resort city of Sochi, Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected efforts by his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to revive a United Nations-backed deal to allow the safe passage of grain from Ukraine — the latest setback in the grain deal since Moscow exited it in July.
In a news conference at the conclusion of the one-day summit on Monday, Putin recycled a litany of complaints about the U.N. deal, arguing the agreement helped Ukraine export its grain but repeatedly failed to live up to promises to ease Russia’s agriculture trade.
“As often happens with our Western partners, they cheated us,” Putin said.
The Kremlin leader told Erdogan that Russia was open to restarting the grain deal — but only once Western-imposed restrictions on banking and logistics were lifted.
“We’re not against the deal. We’re ready to rejoin immediately, but only once the promises made to us have been fulfilled,” added the Russian leader.
Putin also repeated another familiar Russian trope: that the Ukraine grain deal mostly benefited wealthier countries.
Erdogan appeared to reject that notion — saying the grain deal had indeed benefited poorer countries — and he expressed hope Russia would eventually rejoin the agreement he had helped craft.
“As Turkey, we believe that we will reach a solution that will meet the expectations in a short time,” Erdogan said.
Since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, Russia has imposed a de facto blockade on Black Sea shipping, leaving commercial vessels unwilling to enter Ukrainian ports. But in July last year, the U.N. and Turkey brokered an arrangement formally called the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which enabled Ukraine’s wheat and other farm goods to head back to world markets.
The U.N. noted the initiative allowed nearly 33 million metric tons (36 million tons) of grain and other commodities to leave three Ukrainian ports safely despite the war.
U.N. officials say they have repeatedly tried to assuage Moscow’s concerns — even offering “concrete proposals” ahead of the Erdogan talks.
With the grain deal remaining in limbo, the Turkish leader indicated his country was ready to help Russia move forward with a humanitarian initiative to provide free grain to six African countries — most of them Kremlin allies.
Since exiting the U.N. agreement, Moscow has taken to repeatedly attacking Ukraine’s grain facilities in an apparent bid to further gut the country’s agricultural economy.
Indeed, Russia launched missile strikes on grain stores in the Odesa region near Ukraine’s border with NATO ally Romania, just a day before Erdogan’s arrival.
Russia has also threatened to fire on commercial ships attempting to circumvent a Russian blockade — calling them legitimate military targets.
In his statement, Putin accused Ukraine of abusing the grain deal’s humanitarian shipping corridor to strike civilian infrastructure — an apparent reference to repeated Ukrainian attacks on a key bridge linking the Russian mainland to Crimea.
Ukraine argues it respected the humanitarian corridor but that the bridge itself remains a legitimate target given its role in supplying Russian forces operating in southern Ukraine.
Erdogan can now shut up about being a “successful negotiator”.
“With the grain deal remaining in limbo, the Turkish leader indicated his country was ready to help Russia move forward with a humanitarian initiative to provide free grain to six African countries — most of them Kremlin allies.”
No surprise there. Get fucked Erdoğan.
Putins asking for some bs that ain’t guna happen..
Weird, its almost like them indiscriminately bombing port facilities was them saying they’re done with grain deals.
Use NATO country flagged vessels and tell Russia to fuck off.
Hopefully Turkey, China, and Africa take this as a personal insult from Putin.
I don’t care for Erdogan, but it’s Russia who failed, not Turkey.
Surprised Pikachu face.
I clearly remember them saying the sanctions would not be a issue and that they in fact made them “stronger”.
Putin is vermin. Needs eradication
The outcome will be decided for Russia. And they cannot do anything about it.
Turkey should limit how much Russia is allowed to use the Black Sea then
Russia is refusing because the grain export deals Ukraine is doing over land with the EU are proving to be so successful (rail corridors etc using huge US donated trains many hundreds of carriages long, already up and running through Poland and Romania to ports on their coats).
They want Ukraine to stop doing that first before they’ll come to the negotiating table, which is laughable but it was also the Russian position on gas which used to transit through Ukraine to the EU.
Nobody has ever tried to stop ruzzia from shipping grains or fertilizers, agricultural products are not sanctioned. putin is a lying POS.
Turkey should just let a carrier group and a few subs through the bosphorous. That should send the right message.
Let Russia wear their evil. All sanctions would be lifted if Russia left Ukraine and went home where they belong.