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Zelensky to meet Erdogan in Turkey on March 8

by Kateryna Hodunova March 7, 2024 11:36 PM 2 min read

Photo for illustrative purposes. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attend a joint press conference in Istanbul, Turkey on July 8, 2023. (Ozan Guzelce/ dia images via Getty Images)

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President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on March 8 in Turkey, the Turkish Presidency said on X.

The two leaders will discuss Russia’s war, the Black Sea grain deal, and bilateral relations, according to the announcement.

The grain deal, first brokered by Turkey and the UN in July 2022, allowed Ukraine to export its grain even amid the ongoing full-scale Russian invasion. Moscow unilaterally terminated the deal in July 2023.

Ukraine launched a new Black Sea corridor in August without Russia's participation.

Erdogan visited Sochi on Feb. 4 to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and discuss the grain deal along with other issues. At the joint press conference after the meeting, Erdogan shared the expectations of reaching a solution to restore the deal "in a short time."

Ankara previously said it "was working with all relevant players" to restore the Black Sea grain deal, considering the possibility of accepting some of Russia’s conditions, such as reconnecting the Kremlin-owned bank to SWIFT.

During the full-scale invasion, Turkey tried to maintain good ties with both Kyiv and Moscow. Ankara has provided Ukraine with aid and supported it in territorial integrity talks while also opposing sanctions on Russia.

Author: Kateryna Hodunova

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