Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan aim to meet soon after discussing steps to smooth grain shipments from Ukraine over the phone, the Kremlin said on Monday.
Since Russia’s incursion into Ukraine on February 24, Turkey has served as a go-between for Moscow and Kiev. The most recent meetings between Russian and Ukrainian representatives took place in Istanbul at the end of March.
Since the outbreak of the conflict, Ukraine, one of the world’s largest grain producers, has been unable to use the seaports that had previously served as its primary export outlet, and has been able to export only about one-third of the grain it would have shipped abroad.
A shortage of Ukrainian grain has contributed to record-high global food prices and heightened fears about food security.
According to official figures, grain accounts for roughly one-fifth of all Ukrainian exports.