Ukrainian president Zelenskyy to visit Türkiye, with agenda on grain deal

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine is expected to pay an official visit to Türkiye on March 8, 2024, Türkiye's Communications Directorate has said.

"The visit will encompass a detailed discussion of the course of the Ukraine-Russia war, the recent situation of contacts regarding the continuation of the Grain Corridor Agreement, and the efforts for lasting peace in the region," the communications directorate added in a statement shared on X.

"The talks between President Erdogan and his guest, President Zelenskyy, will also address the Türkiye-Ukraine relations," it expressed.

The Black Sea Grain Deal

Last July, Russia withdrew from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, saying that the Russian part of the agreement had not been implemented. It sought the loosening of banking restrictions and the ability to ship its own fertiliser before returning to the deal.

The Ankara-brokered agreement, initially signed in July in 2022 in Istanbul by Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine, was aimed at resuming grain exports from Ukrainian ports halted due to the war, which began in February 2022.

Türkiye, internationally praised for its unique mediator role between Ukraine and Russia, has time and again called on Kiev and Moscow to end the fighting through negotiations.

Erdogan has repeatedly stressed his wish to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskyy together in Türkiye for formal discussions to end the conflict.