President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia is open to negotiations on resuming the Black Sea grain export deal during a televised appearance alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Putin expressed his willingness to address the issue, stating, “I know you intend to raise the issue of the grain deal. We are open to negotiations on this issue.”
In July, Russia decided to cancel the grain export deal, originally brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, which allowed Ukraine to export grain through the Black Sea in the aftermath of the Russia-Ukraine war that began in February of the previous year.
Moscow cited its readiness to reinstate the deal “as soon as” restrictions on its own exports were lifted. Putin emphasized that he expects the West to honor a separate memorandum made with the US during the same period, which was aimed at facilitating Russian food and fertilizer exports. While Western sanctions do not apply to Russian food and fertilizer exports, Moscow claims that restrictions on payments, logistics, and insurance have impeded shipments.
“We will be ready to consider the possibility of reviving the grain deal… and we will do it as soon as all the agreements on lifting restrictions on Russian agricultural exports are fully implemented,” Putin stated during a press conference with the Turkish president.
Putin also mentioned that Russia is nearing a deal to supply food to Africa for free, with supplies expected to commence in the next two to three weeks.
Erdogan, on the other hand, expressed Turkey’s opposition to alternative proposals to last year’s grain agreement. During a joint media appearance with Putin in Sochi, Erdogan stated, “The alternative proposals brought to the agenda could not offer a sustainable, secure, and permanent model based on cooperation between the parties like the Black Sea Initiative.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres had previously sent Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov “a set of concrete proposals” aimed at reviving the deal. One of Moscow’s key requests is the reconnection of the Russian Agricultural Bank to the SWIFT global payments network.
Russia has targeted Ukrainian port infrastructure in repeated attacks, which Kyiv claims is an attempt to damage its exports and undermine global food security. A Russian drone attack on Monday damaged a grain export hub on the Danube River, resulting in the destruction of warehouses and agricultural equipment.
Following the attack, Putin and Erdogan held talks in Sochi, where it was hoped the two leaders could work towards the restoration of the grain deal. Erdogan had promised a “significant” announcement on grain exports after the talks.
According to a report by the Russian state news agency TASS, the discussions between Putin and Erdogan included the defense and foreign ministers of both countries, as well as other government officials. The talks focused on the resumption of the grain deal and other bilateral agenda items.
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