Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday that he wanted “real guarantees” that kyiv respects the agreement on Ukraine’s grain exports, in which Russia has suspended its participation.
In a telephone conversation with Erdogan, the Russian leader considered it “necessary” to obtain from kyiv “real guarantees of strict respect for the Istanbul agreements, in particular that the humanitarian corridor will not be used for military purposes,” the Kremlin said in a statement. . statement.
“Only after that will we be able to analyze the resumption of work” within the framework of the grain agreement, he stressed.
Also Tuesday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu discussed the grain export deal during a phone conversation with his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar, the second in 48 hours, according to a Russian military statement.
This agreement, signed in July under the auspices of the United Nations (UN) and Turkey, allowed the export of millions of tons of cereals held in Ukrainian ports since the beginning of the Russian offensive at the end of February.
On Saturday, Russia, however, went so far as to accuse Ukraine of attacking its fleet in the Sevastopol Bay, annexed to Crimea, using aerial and submarine drones, using the humanitarian corridor created for the export of grain. Moscow assured that this operation was planned with the support of British experts.
Ukraine, for its part, denounced that it was a “false pretext” for the suspension of the grain agreement, while London denied any involvement in this attack.
Source: TSF
