Putin has dashed global hopes for reviving the Ukraine grain deal. This is why it matters
abcnews.go.comTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has meet with Vladimir Putin in a bid to persuade the Russian leader to rejoin the Black Sea grain deal that Moscow broke off from in July
ISTANBUL — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Vladimir Putin on Monday, hoping to persuade the Russian leader to rejoin the Black Sea grain deal that Moscow broke off from in July. But Putin made it clear that the initiative would not be restored until Moscow's expectations for Russian agricultural exports are met.
Here are some key things to know and what's at stake:
WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME OF THE TALKS?
Putin and Erdogan met for more than three hours on Russia’s southern coast after weeks of speculation about when and where they might meet. Erdogan had previously said Putin would travel to Turkey in August.
Putin, however, poured cold water over hopes for a revival of the grain initiative, saying the West must first meet its obligations to facilitate Russian agricultural exports.
WHY DID RUSSIA LEAVE THE GRAIN DEAL?
The Kremlin refused to renew the grain agreement when it expired in July. The deal — brokered by the United Nations and Turkey in July 2022 — had allowed nearly 33 million metric tons (36 million tons) of grain and other commodities to leave three Ukrainian ports safely despite Russia's war.
However, Russia pulled out after claiming that a parallel deal promising to remove obstacles to Russian exports of food and fertilizer had not been honored.
Moscow complained that restrictions on shipping and insurance hampered its agricultural trade, even though it has shipped record amounts of wheat since last year.
WHY IS TURKEY A BROKER?
Since Putin withdrew from the initiative, Erdogan has repeatedly pledged to renew
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