Putin, Erdogan to discuss stalled Ukraine grain deal amid rising food prices

A UN index measuring global food prices has risen for the first time since April following the collapse of the Ukraine grain deal. Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan later this month to discuss restarting the deal.

Turkey’s Hürriyet Daily News reported on Monday that Putin and Erdoğan spoke on the phone last week and agreed that Putin would visit Turkey at the end of August. A specific date has not been released.

After invading Ukraine in February 2022, Russia enforced a naval blockade, cutting off Ukrainian exports. The embargo caused a steep rise in prices for agricultural products. In July 2022, Russia and Ukraine signed the Black Sea Grain Initiative, an agreement brokered by the UN and Turkey to establish a safe shipping corridor and allow Ukrainian exports to resume. Last month, Russia pulled out of the agreement.

According to the report, Erdoğan and his Cabinet are discussing ways to resume the deal. READ MORE