Turkey's Erdogan Reaches Out to Putin for Ukraine Peace Talks

Key Topics:

• Peace efforts in Ukraine
• Black Sea grain deal

Turkey's Unique Position

• NATO member with good relations with both Ukraine and Russia
• Hosted three rounds of peace talks in Istanbul
• Offered to host a leaders' meeting

Erdogan's Statements

• Spoke at a press conference after the G20 summit in South Africa
• Mentioned the Black Sea grain deal from 2022
• Plans to ask Putin to restart the grain deal
• Will discuss ways to stop the fighting
• Will share results with European and U.S. leaders

U.S. Plan Concerns

• Erdogan did not comment on a U.S. plan to end the war
• Kyiv and allies worry it gives too much to Russia

Black Sea Grain Deal Details

• Signed in July 2022
• Allowed Ukraine to export 33 million metric tons of grain
• Russia left the deal in 2023
• Russia cited problems with its own food and fertilizer exports
• Mentioned issues with payments, logistics, and insurance

Recent Diplomatic Efforts

• Erdogan met with Ukrainian President Zelenskiy last week
• Spoke with French and Italian leaders on Sunday
• Advocates for using all diplomatic efforts
• Believes restarting talks in Istanbul could help