Vladimir Putin has met Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for talks expected to focus on Russia’s war in Ukraine and that are being rumoured to include Kremlin efforts to circumvent western sanctions.

Putin welcomed the Turkish president to Sochi, a resort city on the Black Sea, by thanking him for his help in securing an international deal that resumed exports of grain from Ukraine that had been disrupted by the Kremlin war machine – as well as Russian foodstuffs and fertilisers – to world markets.

The deal ended a standoff that had threatened a global food crisis, as Ukraine and Russia are some of the world’s largest exporters of grain. Another three ships carrying almost 60,000 tonnes of grain between them departed Ukrainian Black Sea ports on Friday and are on their way to Britain, Ireland and Turkey respectively.

Source: Theguardian.com