"We praised the extension of the grain deal. I thanked (Erdogan) for supporting our Grain from Ukraine initiative and assured that Ukraine will remain a guarantor of food stability," President Volodymyr Zelensky said following a phone conversation with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Nov. 18.
Earlier on Nov. 18, Erdogan spoke on the phone with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, news agency Anadolu reported, citing Turkey's presidential administration.
Erdogan thanked Putin for agreeing to extend the U.N.-backed grain initiative and told him that it is essential to resume peace talks with Kyiv, according to the report.
Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, and the UN reached an agreement to extend the grain export deal for four months in Istanbul on Nov. 17.
The grain agreement, called the Black Sea Grain Initiative, was concluded in July to unblock Ukrainian grain exports amid Russia's full-scale invasion of the country.
On Oct. 29, Russia said it was suspending its participation in the grain deal due to a drone attack on Russian warships in the occupied port of Sevastopol. Russia blamed the attack on Ukraine. Kyiv hasn't officially commented on its alleged involvement.
However, on Nov. 2, Russia made a U-turn and said it was staying in the deal.
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