The first cargo ship using the new Black Sea shipping lanes leaves the port of Odessa in southern Ukraine on August 16, 2023 (AFP/Archives/STRINGER)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan travels to Russia on Monday to discuss with his counterpart Vladimir Putin the resumption of the agreement on Ukrainian grain exports via the Black Sea in time for the autumn harvest.
The talks will take place in Sochi, in southwestern Russia.
Mr. Erdogan’s first meeting with Mr. Putin since last October comes as Russian forces try to contain a counter-offensive from kyiv that is beginning to show promise after three months of fighting on the southern front.
The Turkish head of state hopes to make these talks on the transport of Ukrainian cereals a springboard for broader peace negotiations between kyiv and Moscow.
Mr. Erdogan is one of the rare leaders within NATO to maintain good relations with Mr. Putin.
Their close but sometimes tumultuous relationship appears to have grown stronger since Russia launched its “special military operation” in Ukraine in February 2022.
Mr Putin’s decision to cut and postpone Turkish payments for Russian gas has helped soften the effects of the economic crisis that nearly cost Mr Erdogan his re-election in May.
For its part, Turkey has refused to join Western sanctions against Russia and has become a prime location for Russians to access different products and services.
Mr. Erdogan, however, angered his Russian counterpart by supplying arms to Ukraine and supporting the country’s ambitions to join NATO.
The Kremlin was particularly furious after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s repatriation last July of several Ukrainian commanders who were to remain in Turkey until the end of the conflict under an agreement between Moscow and Kiev.
But Russia and Ukraine now want to ensure Mr. Erdogan’s support in their conflict in the Black Sea, particularly on exports.
– “Only promises” –
Russia withdrew in July from the agreement that allowed the maritime transport of Ukrainian grain, crucial for the world’s food supply, criticizing the fact that the sending to the international market of its own agricultural products and fertilizers was hampered by Western sanctions.
Russia has since threatened to attack ships leaving Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea.
It has also intensified its bombardments of Ukrainian port infrastructure.
Regarding a return to the cereals agreement, “there is now a process based on a better understanding and a better response to Russia’s demands”, estimated the head of Turkish diplomacy Hakan Fidan who had traveled to Moscow on Thursday to prepare for the visit of its president.
The solution to the transport of cereals in the Black Sea “depends on the Western countries which must keep their promises”, affirmed at the beginning of August Mr. Erdogan, alluding to Moscow’s requests.
Ukraine now relies on overland routes and a shallow river port for deliveries, which significantly limits the volumes of grain exported.
kyiv is looking for partners to boost its exports, including through the Black Sea.
Ukraine recently sent four ships to test a new sea route that only briefly enters international waters and largely follows those controlled by NATO members – and therefore less prone to Russian attack.
For its part, Moscow has formulated its own proposal based on sending free foodstuffs to Africa and cereals at a reduced price to be processed in Turkey thanks to a financial contribution from Qatar.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has dismissed a new proposal by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to resume the Ukrainian grain export deal.
“There are still no guarantees in this (proposal), only promises,” he said.
© 2023 AFP
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