During the meeting between Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, there was a moment when the Turkish president did not understand what his Russian counterpart was saying. An embarrassed look was exchanged and a few seconds later the translator’s earpiece, which was in the guest’s possession, was replaced. But when communications were restored, the goal Erdogan brought to Sochi — restoring the grain deal officially known as the Black Sea Grain Initiative — turned out to be a waste of time. The Russian leader took the opportunity to boast that his country is close to an agreement to offer grain to six African countries, and to say that the Ukrainian counter-offensive is a “failure”.
Erdogan is thankful that the payment of a $600 million natural gas bill has been postponed until next year and has been sympathetic to Russian demands to reinstate the grain deal. After considering that the situation could be resolved “in a short time” and taking into account the new proposals from Ankara and the United Nations, he left a criticism of Kiev, albeit without going into details. “Ukraine must soften its approach so that it becomes possible to take joint measures with Russia,” he said.
Ukrainian authorities have attempted to export grain via Romania across the Danube and recently announced a temporary corridor from the ports of Odessa to the Bosphorus through which four grain ships sailed. The infrastructure and silos of neighboring Romanian ports have been the constant target of Iranian drones serving Russia, and ships passing through the temporary corridor are viewed by Moscow as potential military targets.
The Russian leader did not deviate an inch from his line. For Putin, the deal reached by the UN in July 2022 with Turkey’s mediation and suspended by Russia a year later can only be revived if restrictions on Russian agricultural exports are lifted. Specifically, Moscow is demanding that Russian banks have access to the international payment system (SWIFT) and that ships engaged in the export of fertilizers and grains can take out insurance. Putin took the opportunity to announce that agreements will soon be signed with six countries on the free shipment of grains.
In the aftermath of the meeting, Mychailo Podolyak, presidential adviser to Volodimir Zelensky, said it had been confirmed that “any ‘negotiation’ with Putin is misleading and futile”. The head of diplomacy, on the other hand, was convinced that a “contact” between the Turkish leader and his president would follow. “There is confidence in relations between President Zelensky and President Erdogan,” said Dmytro Kuleba.
The Ukrainian minister conducted an exchange of statements with the Romanian authorities. After the river port of Izmail was again the target of a Russian attack, his ministry said Russian drones had fallen into Romanian territory. Following Bucharest’s denial, Kuleba said he had photographic evidence to substantiate the allegation.
Putin made brief remarks about Ukraine’s response to the “special military operation” at the press conference following his three-hour meeting with Erdogan. “As for the counter-offensive stagnating, it’s not like it’s stagnating. It’s a failure. At least that’s how it looks today. Let’s see what happens next. I hope it stays that way.”
To oppose Kiev’s forces, Moscow wants more weapons and the solution could lie in North Korea. According to The New York Times, dictator Kim Jong-un is planning a trip to Russia, during which military cooperation between the two countries will be discussed, including the supply of weapons and ammunition. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu confirmed that joint military exercises are being considered. According to South Korean intelligence officials quoted by the Yonhap news agency, Shoigu suggested joint naval exercises between Russia, North Korea and China.
Source: DN
