Russia rejoins Ukraine grain deal, Zelensky thanks Turkish president for role in recovery deal | Ukraine and Russia war

Turkey previously played an important role in concluding the grain deal in August, which involved the United Nations as well as Russia and Ukraine. Since then, about 10 million tons of grain and other agricultural products have been exported from Ukrainian ports, which has led to lower prices all over the world. Ships are checked in Istanbul.

Today, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu assured the Turkish Defense Minister that the deal will continue as of 12 noon. Erdogan said the renewed agreement would prioritize shipments to African countries, including Somalia, Djibouti and Sudan. Russia demanded it because most of the grain ended up in the richer countries.

Russia itself later confirmed that it was once again participating in the implementation of the agreement. According to the Russian military, Moscow received written guarantees from Ukraine that the corridor would not be used to fight against Russia.

“Russia considers the guarantees it has received sufficient on this point and is resuming implementation of the agreement,” the Russian news agency TASS quoted the Russian Defense Ministry as saying. The ministry also said Turkey’s mediation contributed to the resumption of grain exports.

Russia suspended its participation in the grain deal this weekend after it accused Ukraine of launching a drone attack on the Russian fleet in the Black Sea. The Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday that the movement of ships from ports in southern Ukraine had stopped and described the Ukrainian attack as “unacceptable”.

Erdogan called Putin on Tuesday to persuade him to retract the suspension. In his call to the outside world, he indicated that he “trusts” the cooperation of all parties to find a solution. But Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed on Wednesday that Russia could withdraw from the renewed agreement at any time. If that happens, he said, Russia will not block the shipment of grain from Ukraine to Turkey. Putin has already made it clear on several occasions that he appreciates Turkey’s “neutrality” in the conflict with Ukraine.

Despite the Russian withdrawal, three grain ships from Ukrainian ports entered the humanitarian corridor on Tuesday. The Ukrainian, Turkish and UN delegations have given the green light to those moves, according to the Joint Coordination Center (JCC) in Istanbul, which is responsible for the international agreement. The Russian delegation was informed of this. The Joint Coordination Center was also able to inspect 46 ships on Monday and granted permission to use the Black Sea corridor in both directions.

Thanks to the grain deal concluded in Istanbul on July 19, nearly 10 million grains have already been exported from Ukrainian ports. Grain has been banned there since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24. The agreement should help prevent a serious food crisis, especially in Africa. The current agreement is valid until November 19.

The Turkish president said poor countries in Africa should give priority to new grain deliveries from Ukraine. According to him, Vladimir Putin suggested giving priority to countries such as Somalia, Djibouti and Sudan, an idea to which he agreed.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed gratitude to his Turkish counterpart for his role in preserving the deal that will allow Ukrainian grain to be shipped safely through the Black Sea. Zelensky also thanked Erdogan in a phone call for his “unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said on Twitter.

Erdogan told Zelensky that the ability of Ukraine and Russia to sell grain is critical to the entire world. He also called for more diplomatic efforts to end the war “justly” without Ukraine losing its territory, according to his cabinet.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also welcomed the move and is working to extend the agreement beyond November 19. The US government also stresses the importance of this.