Introduction

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday said he believed his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin still wants to maintain the key wartime Black Sea grain deal.

The end of the grain deal

Erdoğan’s remarks came shortly after the Kremlin announced that the grain deal had “de facto ended” hours before it was due to expire, and that Moscow would return to the landmark agreement if its conditions were met.

Background of the deal

The deal, brokered by the United Nations and Türkiye last July, aimed to alleviate a global food crisis by allowing Ukrainian grain blocked by Russia’s invasion to be exported safely.

Russian threats to leave the accord

Moscow has threatened to leave the accord for weeks, saying its side of the agreement was not properly implemented.

Erdoğan’s belief in Putin’s intentions

“I think that despite today’s statement, my friend (Russian President Vladimir) Putin wants to continue the agreement,” Erdoğan told reporters ahead of his departure for Saudi Arabia as part of a three-day Gulf tour.

Possible agreement extension

He said that he would hold talks with the Russian leader before his anticipated visit to Türkiye in August.

An agreement to extend the deal “without interruptions” could still be possible before Putin’s visit, Erdoğan noted, adding that negotiations were underway to this end.

Efforts to resolve the issue

Erdoğan said Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan would also discuss the matter with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, adding that he hoped for progress on the issue.

Conclusion

“I hope that with this discussion, we can make some progress and continue on our way without a pause,” he noted.