Putin will help Erdogan find the grain of truth

By Anna Koroleva

The Turkish president is going to discuss with the Russian president a return to the grain deal on new terms. The UN has indeed put forward proposals that look attractive, but the organization's ability to enforce them is questionable. Russia will outline its priorities at the meeting of the presidents, the Expert believes.

The Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan plans to discuss the viability of the grain deal with Vladimir Putin at their meeting in Sochi. This was reported by the TASS agency, citing a source in political circles in Ankara.

According to the publication, we are talking about the return of grain supplies on new terms proposed by the United Nations. In addition, the Turkish President intends to discuss with the Russian leader the supply of grain to Africa with the participation of Qatar.

“Certainly, the main topic of the upcoming talks in Sochi will be the viability of the previous grain deal. The leaders will study in detail the new proposals that have been prepared at the UN with the participation of Turkey,” the source said. “The scenario with the supply of grain from Russia to needy countries in Africa through Turkey with the financial support of Qatar will be on the agenda of Presidents Erdogan and Putin. A detailed consideration of such a possibility is necessary, after which any specific decision can be made within the framework of this initiative,” he added.

On Sunday, the Turkish newspaper Sabah reported that a new package of UN proposals included a provision to start negotiations to lift the restrictions on Russian food producers whose assets are blocked by European governments. In addition, the UN proposes to "start work on assessing the damage to 'pipelines' through which ammonia that was exported by Russia was delivered through Ukraine. The reconnecting Rosselkhozbank to the SWIFT system and solving the problems of Russian ships are also among the proposals of the UN.

“There is something forced and somewhat controversial in the very concept of a “deal,” Stanislav Naumov, the deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy, expressed his opinion to Expert. “For all that, of course, this always raises the question: who benefits from this?”

“For Russia,” the parliamentarian continues, “it is beneficial to use all the tools to protect its sovereignty, and in a situation where NATO countries are militarizing Ukraine, we have nothing to negotiate apart from some concessions and maybe compromises. Also a year ago it seemed to some that the situation allowed for the use of double standards, when at the same time we conduct a special military operation and then simultaniously allow enterprises operating on the territory of Ukraine to earn, make a profit and finance the armed forces of the Ukraine. Therefore, for me on our side, this story seems to be complete, which does not prevent the Turkish president from hearing our opinions.”

If Turkey wants to play the role of an external economic partner, then it is necessary to discuss it with us, including the program of military-technical cooperation, the analyst is sure. “It cannot be “both ours and yours”. Accordingly, you need to choose. Therefore, yes, we are probably ready to give Turkey the opportunity to be a partner in global food security, but I am sure that there are always strong limiters. Therefore, this is not a question of mediators in the current situation, no mediators bring anything on any particular topic. The only thing is that the decision-making center is located in Washington, and therefore it is not very clear in this sense when Washington - and whether it will come to its senses and when it will stop sponsoring the Ukraine regime on the borders of the Russian Federation, ”concluded Stanislav Naumov.

“Now the battle for Africa is actually beginning, in which Russia is counting on playing a key role and achieve great success. The last grain deal did not reach the announced goals: the rich European countries sent 3% of the grain to Africa, and used the rest on their domestic needs, including livestock feed. Africa saw this situation and gave its assessment of what it saw was happening: now we see a number of countries where anti-Western protests are taking place, and Russia, through a new grain deal, can increase the loyalty of African countries to our country, ”says Nikita, a political scientist, head of the influence group Dontsov.

Meanwhile, Europe is actively celebrating Turkey's initiatives. For example, the Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who is on a visit to China, stressed the importance of the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

“This is an important meeting. I believe that everything must be done to reach an agreement on all issues relating to the military conflict. An agreement on the Black Sea route, which should also bring grain to many African countries, must be reached. It's good if Erdogan advances this operation, which will be a small step towards peace, ”Prime reports.
This article originally appeared at in Russian at expert.ru and was translated and edited by Rhod Mackenzie