Moscow, 4 September 2023 (dpa/MIA) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has reiterated his willingness to reinstate a UN-brokered deal to safely ship Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea only after all Russian demands have been met.

At a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Sochi on the Black Sea on Monday, Putin said that Western sanctions on Russia were hindering its own export of grain, fertilizer and agricultural technology.

When those restrictions on the export of Russian agricultural products have been lifted, Putin said he would be open to the resumption of the pact, officially known as the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

Erdoğan is acting as a mediator in the Russian war against Ukraine and maintains close contact with both parties. Turkey, a NATO member, does not participate in the West's sanctions on Russia.

The grain deal, which Erdoğan helped to negotiate, is seen as essential to addressing global food insecurity and containing grain prices. War-torn Ukraine is also dependent on the income from exports.

In July, Moscow said it was halting participation in the year-old deal, which created corridors for the export of tens of millions of tons of grains and fertilizers, despite a Russian naval blockade of Ukraine.

Photo: EPA