Erdogan shares Putin’s concerns about grain exports from Ukraine

Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan justified Russia’s Vladimir Putin after the latter said Russia was deceived by the UN- brokered grain exports deal from Ukraine, Turkish state news agency Anadolu reported. 

Putin said on Wednesday that he wanted to review the deal that established a sea corridor which allows Ukraine to export its grain to ease the food crisis and global famine caused by the Russia-Ukraine War, arguing that most of grain ended up in the European Union rather than poor countries and added Moscow will "have to think about changing routes" for the grain shipments.

Erdogan said Putin is "right" that Ukraine's grain "unfortunately" goes to the rich countries, not to poor ones, at a news conference with his Croatian counterpart Zoran Milanovic in the capital Zagreb.

"While sanctions against Russia continue, on the other hand, grain shipments to the countries that impose these sanctions are disturbing Putin," Erdogan said.

Erdogan also acknowledged Putin in his request that the deal should also allow Russia to export its grain.

"We want grain shipments from Russia to start as well, we expect this," Erdogan said.

Meanwhile, senior U.N. and Russian officials met in Geneva on Wednesday to discuss Russian complaints that Western sanctions were impeding its grain and fertilizer exports despite a U.N.-brokered deal to boost Russian and Ukrainian shipments of the commodities.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that "the discussions are going on at a very constructive, professional level."