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Russian President Vladimir Putin asked his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday (August 2) to help Moscow export its grain to African countries to evade crisis because of food shortage.
During the call, Putin also reaffirmed that Russia would return to the deal "as soon as the West actually fulfils all the obligations to Russia" contained within it.
Kremlin said in a statement that during a telephonic conversation between Putin and Erdogan, the "willingness for cooperation with Turkey and other interested states on this issue was expressed".
Food security has again become the main issue of global concern after Moscow's decision to scrap the deal brokered by United Nations and Turkey. The grain deal allowed Ukraine to export food through the Black Sea in the aftermath of the Russia-Ukraine war, which started last year on February 24.
Ukraine is known as the "breadbasket" to many countries as it is one of the world's biggest suppliers of sunflower oil, barley, maize and wheat.
However, the suspension of the grain deal caused severe effects on international food markets, with wheat prices rising sharply on both European and US wholesale markets.
Meanwhile, Erdogan has also urged Putin not to take steps that escalate tensions. The Turkish leader's office said that during the phone call, Erdogan emphasised the significance of a grain deal that he called a "bridge for peace".
The United States believes that Kremlin might be prepared to return to talks to resume the grain deal, but the situation is becoming worse with continuous strikes on key Ukrainian ports.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who is the US envoy to the UN, claimed that if Russia's demands are met, it could return to the grain deal. "We have seen indications that they might be interested in returning to discussions. So, we will wait to see whether that actually happens," said the ambassador.
But the ground reality appears to be different as Russia has already said that it will only return to the deal if Moscow's conditions are met, and has been launching strikes on Ukrainian ports.
Ukraine's defence ministry said that Russia on Wednesday attacked the main inland port across the Danube River from Romania. The strikes are further sending global food prices higher. Ukraine's defence ministry said a grain silo was damaged in the Danube port of Izmail in the Odesa region.
"Ukrainian grain has the potential to feed millions of people worldwide," the ministry wrote on messaging platform X.
