On September 4, the leaders of Turkey and Russia met in Sochi to discuss a range of topics, including regional developments, bilateral ties, and the stalled Black Sea Grain Initiative. There were hopes that the meeting would result in progress regarding the stalled Russia-Ukraine grain deal, but due to complex geopolitical circumstances, these hopes were not realized. During a joint press conference following the meeting, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that Western countries and the United Nations were still refusing to honor key parts of the deal, specifically the unblocking of Russian grain exports.
The grain deal, brokered last year by the U.N. and Turkey, allowed Ukraine to export grain through the Black Sea despite ongoing hostilities. Before its termination, the deal allowed Ukraine to export over 30 million tons of grain. However, in mid-July, Russia halted its participation in the agreement, citing Western countries’ failure to comply with key parts of the deal. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, accompanied by a sizable delegation, expressed the belief that the grain initiative could be revived by correcting its deficiencies and stated that Turkey and the U.N. had prepared a new package of proposals aimed at reactivating the deal. Erdogan expressed confidence in finding a solution in the short term to meet expectations.
According to Moscow, a key part of the grain deal, outlined in a memorandum signed between Russia and the U.N., was never properly implemented. The memorandum called for removing barriers to Russian grain and fertilizer exports, as well as reconnecting Russia’s state-run agricultural bank to the international SWIFT payment system. The European Union disconnected the bank from the SWIFT system last year following Russia’s invasion of eastern Ukraine. Putin reiterated Russia’s willingness to revive the grain deal if the conditions of the memorandum were met.
While Western officials argue that Russia’s exit from the deal has worsened the global food crisis and deprived poor nations of grain, Moscow disputes this claim, stating that the majority of Ukrainian grain exported under the deal went to wealthy European markets. Putin accused the West of obstructing Russian grain exports at a Russia-Africa summit in July and announced plans to provide several African states with shipments of free Russian grain. During the meeting in Sochi, Putin declared that free Russian grain would be shipped to Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, the Central African Republic, and Eritrea in the coming weeks. Additionally, a plan was tabled by Russia and Turkey, in collaboration with Qatar, to send 1 million tons of Russian grain to Turkey to be processed into flour and sent to poor nations free of charge. Qatar confirmed its readiness to provide financial support for this scheme.
Turkey, while a NATO member, has refrained from supporting Western sanctions on Russia and has maintained good relations with Moscow. Both leaders emphasized the progress made in enhancing bilateral ties, particularly in the fields of energy and trade. Last year, Putin proposed making Turkey a regional hub for the distribution of Russian natural gas, a proposal that Erdogan embraced. They agreed to build a gas distribution hub in Turkey’s northwestern Thrace region. Following their latest meeting, both leaders confirmed that the plan is still underway. Erdogan stated that annual trade between Turkey and Russia currently stands at $62 billion and expressed confidence in reaching their common target of $100 billion. He declared that Turkey-Russia relations are entering a new phase.