Following a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, emphasized that his nation has no intention of resuscitating the Black Sea Grain Agreement. Putin stated, “We are not against this deal; we are ready to immediately return to it as soon as the promises made to us are fulfilled.”

Putin demands lifting of sanctions on a number of agricultural exports from Russia and readmitting export banks to the financial community.  Sanctions are obviously hurting Russia that is limited to trading with an ever-decreasing number of friendly nations.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergey Lavrov, has rejected a United Nations proposal to restore grain shipments from Ukraine since no guarantees or concessions for Russia were offered.

Turkey, a member of NATO with ambition to join the E.U. has been walking a tightrope with Russia since the Invasion of Ukraine. Maintaining mutually profitable relations with Russia has facilitated evasion of some sanctions by the Russian Federation.

As Russia refuses to negotiate on a renewed Black Sea Grain Agreement, it has continued to bombard Ukraine export installations along the Black Sea and Danube Delta. This represents economic warfare and directly benefits the value of exported Russian grain.