Turkey calls on Russia to reconsider Ukraine ‘grain deal’ suspension
The Russian personnel stationed at a coordination center set up for the Ukraine grain deal in Istanbul have yet to leave their posts, Turkey says, calling on Moscow to resume the deal.
Turkey called on Russia to reconsider the decision to suspend the grain deal during a phone call between the two countries' defense chiefs.
During the call on Monday, according to an official Turkish statement, Turkey’s Defense Minister Hulusi Akar stressed the importance of the grain deal, which “greatly contributed” to mitigating the food crisis.
Akar told his Russian counterpart, Sergei Soigu, that the grain deal was a “purely humanitarian effort” that should be set apart from the ongoing clashes between Ukraine and Russia, the statement said.
The Russian Defense Ministry announced Saturday that it was halting the grain deal for an “indefinite period of time” in response to drone attacks on its ships in the Black Sea.
