Putin Refuses to Negotiate Grain Deal with Erdogan: WSJ

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ignored Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's request to discuss the restoration of the grain deal. This was reported by The Wall Street Journal, citing diplomatic sources.

According to them, the phone call that the Turkish leader insisted on has not yet taken place. Turkish officials continue to seek dialogue through other channels. Former senior diplomat Gulru Gezer, who worked at the Turkish embassy in Moscow, stated that she does not believe “Putin no longer trusts Erdogan as he once did.”

In her opinion, the Russian side, and particularly the Kremlin, “questions the thought process of the Turkish president.” Gezer also described it as unusual that the Russian leader “does not respond (to calls from foreign heads of state).” Earlier, Erdogan had expressed hope that he would discuss the matter in detail with Putin and ensure the continuation of the grain deal.

Previously, Dmitry Polyansky, the first deputy representative of Russia to the UN, stated that Russia would return to the grain deal as soon as the West fulfills seven conditions. Earlier, the European Union demanded the resumption of the grain deal.