Russia, Turkey fail to reach deal on grain exports from Ukraine
Talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan failed to reach a deal on the export of grain from Ukraine, with Russia refusing to extend an existing agreement and accusing the West of obstructing efforts to reach a new agreement.
In a three-hour meeting in Sochi, Putin said that Russia was ready to provide humanitarian assistance to countries in Africa, but that it would not allow the West to use the grain export issue to put pressure on it.
He also said that the West had failed to meet his demands for lifting sanctions on Russia, including the removal of Russia's state-owned bank, Rosselkhozbank, from the SWIFT messaging system.
"We have provided security guarantees for the navigation of ships in the Black Sea, but the other side used the humanitarian corridors for terrorist attacks on Russian civilian and military infrastructure," Putin said. "This is unacceptable."
Erdogan, who had promised to make a "very important" announcement on grain exports after the meeting, said that he was still committed to mediating a deal and that a new package of proposals was needed.
He said that finding alternative routes for Ukraine's grain exports was not a sustainable solution.
"We believe that the initiative should be continued by addressing the shortcomings," Erdogan said. "We have prepared a new package that includes suggestions, in consultation with the United States. I believe it is possible to make progress. We in Turkey believe that we will soon reach a solution that meets expectations."
Russia unilaterally withdrew from the agreement mediated by the United Nations and Turkey in July. Since then, it has frequently bombed Ukraine's agricultural infrastructure.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
