Kremlin spox: Putin, Erdogan to hold talks soon

Press Secretary for Russian President Dmitry Peskov has confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will hold talks on September 4.

“Negotiations will be held in Sochi on Monday [September 4] in the afternoon,” he said, Gazeta.ru reports.

The deal, brokered by Türkiye and the United Nations in July 2022 to help alleviate a global food crisis, allowed grain shipments from Ukraine's Black Sea ports.

However, Moscow quit the deal last month, complaining that an accompanying agreement to facilitate Russia's own grain and fertiliser exports was not being implemented.

Russia's grain and fertiliser exports are not subject to Western sanctions imposed on Moscow over its military actions in Ukraine. But Moscow has said restrictions on payments, logistics and insurance have been a barrier to shipments.

Global grain prices have risen since Moscow let the deal expire on July 17, while Russia has repeatedly attacked Ukrainian ports and grain storage facilities.

Ukraine and Russia are both leading grain exporters. Nearly 33 million tonnes of Ukrainian grain was exported during the year that the Black Sea deal was in operation.