Istanbul, 5 November 2022 (TDI): Russia and Turkiye will jointly deliver free grain to countries in need. These will include Djibouti, Somalia, and Sudan as well as others.
In a phone call, the President of Turkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and the Russian President, Vladimir Putin discussed the issue. The two will further discuss it extensively at the G20 summit in Indonesia.
Furthermore, Russia has assured Turkiye about the Black Sea Grain Initiative, that it would “continue in the same way as before.”
In the latest development, Russian Defence Minister, Sergei Shoigu informed his Turkish counterpart about the decision to return to the UN-brokered deal that permitted the cargo of millions of tons of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea.
In response to Russia’s worries that the majority of the grain was ending up in richer countries, the President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkiye stated that the agreement would prioritize shipments to African countries, including Somalia, Djibouti, and Sudan.
According to a statement by the Russian Defence Ministry, Moscow has agreed to continue carrying out its obligations under the agreement after receiving written guarantees from Kyiv that Ukraine wouldn’t use the sea corridor for military operations.
Ever since, six grain ships have left the Ukrainian ports after Russia rejoins the deal. However, Russian President, Vladimir Putin later issued a warning that if Kyiv breaks its word, Moscow reserves the right to once again withdraw from the agreement.
According to Russian state news agencies, Vladimir Putin informed a Security Council meeting, “We demanded assurances and guarantees from the Ukrainian side that humanitarian corridors will not be used for military purposes.”
He went on to say that “I have given instructions to the Ministry of Defence to resume our full participation in this work.” In addition, he praised Turkiye’s mediation efforts to get the deal back on track.
Along these lines, the Russian President lauded the Turkish President’s “neutrality in the conflict as a whole” and his efforts at “ensuring the interest of the poorest countries”.
It is important to remember that Russia had over the weekend halted its participation in the grain deal due to claims that a Ukrainian drone had attacked its Black Sea fleet.
