Ukraine needs to soften its position to resume grain deal – Erdoğan

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of Türkiye, acted in favour of resuming the Black Sea Grain Initiative at the meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

Source: Erdoğan during a joint press conference with Putin, as reported by Anadolu and European Pravda

Erdoğan expressed his belief that the grain deal must be resumed "by overcoming shortcomings".

He said that the alternative suggestions were not able to provide a "stable, secure and permanent model based on the cooperation between sides like the Black Sea Grain Initiative".

"We have prepared a new package of proposals jointly with the UN, which provides for significant progress. I believe that with the help of this new process it would be possible to achieve results. Ukraine certainly needs to soften its position in order to take steps jointly with Russia," Erdoğan remarked.

He also expressed his hope that "shortly the sides will reach an agreement that would meet their expectations".

Russian President Vladimir Putin, following talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, stated that Moscow was not ready to immediately return to the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which it quit in July.

Before the meeting with Erdoğan in Sochi on September 4, Putin said he was open to discussions about Russia's participation in the grain deal

In late August, the foreign ministers of Ukraine and Türkiye, Dmytro Kuleba and Hakan Fidan, discussed the revival of the grain deal in Kyiv.

Afterward, Fidan, during a visit to Moscow and following a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, called for the revival of the Black Sea grain initiative.

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