What Putin and Erdogan Discussed

Russian President Vladimir Putin informed Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the reasons for Russia's decision to suspend its participation in the grain deal. This was reported today by the Kremlin's press service following a conversation between the leaders of the two countries, as reported by Izvestia.

Vladimir Putin emphasized that Kyiv has used the grain corridor to target ships in Sevastopol that were ensuring the security of the route.

“It is necessary to conduct a detailed investigation into the circumstances of this incident, as well as to obtain real guarantees from Kyiv regarding strict adherence to the Istanbul agreements, particularly not using the humanitarian corridor for military purposes. Only after that can the issue of resuming work within the framework of this ‘Black Sea Initiative’ be considered,” noted the Russian leader.

During the conversation, Putin also told Erdogan that the issue of providing food to countries in need has not yet been resolved. In this regard, Putin reaffirmed Russia's readiness to supply a significant amount of grain and fertilizer to Africa free of charge.