Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday rejected the signing of a new agreement for the transportation of grain across the Black Sea, as long as the West does not comply with Moscow’s demands.
The Russian leader was speaking after talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the southern Russian resort of Sochi.
Along with the UN, Erdogan was one of the brokers of the original agreement, known as the Black Sea Initiative and signed in Istanbul in the summer of 2022, allowing Ukraine to safely export its grain production.
Moscow unilaterally abandoned the protocol in July.
According to the Ankara press, at the meeting in Sochi, the Turkish head of state hoped to “persuade” the Russian president to resume the agreements.
At the opening of what was the first meeting between the two heads of state since October last year, Erdogan had promised a “very important” announcement on grain exports at the end.
In his remarks after his meeting with Erdogan, Putin said Russia was finalizing an agreement to supply free grain to six African countries.
Source: DN
