A delegation from Russia is in Istanbul to negotiate with Turkey on a new edition of the grain agreement. The news ticker.
- Negotiations in Istanbul: Russia and Turkey are negotiating a new grain deal.
- High-level talks: Negotiations could be underway between Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin personally.
- Negotiations in the Ukraine war: All the news from the Ukraine war and diplomatic efforts in our news ticker.
Moscow / Ankara - Turkey and Russia say they have resumed negotiations on an agreement to ensure the delivery of grain across the Black Sea even during the Ukraine war. As the Kremlin announced, it was "quite possible" that the talks would be shifted at the highest level.
"President Erdogan and President Putin often hold telephone conversations when such a need arises. The grain deal is very important, so they could discuss the results," an unnamed Russian government official told state news agency TASS.
Russia and Turkey continue negotiations in Ukraine war
Negotiations between Russia and Turkey in Istanbul enter their second day on Thursday (11 May). So far, nothing is known about the status or possible results. In addition to representatives of Moscow and Ankara, a delegation from the United Nations is also taking part in the negotiations. According to TASS and the Reuters news agency, the central issue is the implementation of a general grain agreement that would allow the export of agricultural products and fertilizers through the Black Sea and through the Bosphorus Strait. At the beginning of the negotiations, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu was optimistic that the agreement would be extended by at least two months.
A tanker transports Ukrainian grain through the Bosphorus Strait. Turkey and Russia are negotiating a new grain deal. © OZAN KOSE/AFP
The halt in grain exports from Ukraine caused by the ongoing Ukraine war triggered a global food crisis last summer. On July 22, 2022, Turkey and Russia signed an agreement to ensure the delivery of food for at least 120 days. The agreement was renewed in November 2022 and March 2023.
Putin and Erdogan: negotiating partners with self-interests
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly been accused of deliberately stoking global hunger in order to gain bargaining chip in the Ukraine war. For Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the current talks offer the opportunity to present himself as an international mediator shortly before the Turkish elections on Sunday (14 May).
