The foreign minister of Turkiye held negotiations with the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, in an effort to revive a deal with Russia that would provide the secure transit of grain across the Black Sea.
Turkiye’s minister meets Zelensky: The Turkish foreign ministry captured on camera the moment when Hakan Fidan shook hands with Zelensky.
Previously, diplomats have indicated that the negotiations will focus on the grain accord, which the UN and Turkey mediated but Russia terminated last month.
After discussions with Fidan, Zelensky released a statement noting that they had discussed many significant matters. He specifically emphasized the risks resulting from the Russian blockade of the Black Sea grain corridor.
Since Russia last month pulled out of a pact mediated by Turkey and the UN that ensured safe passage for Ukrainian grain exports from three southern ports, tensions in the crucial waterway have risen.
Earlier this month, the first ship carrying civilians to escape Ukraine in violation of Russia’s embargo arrived in Istanbul.