President of Ukraine Zelenskiy will discuss the Black Sea Grain Agreement with President Erdogan in Istanbul, where he arrived after an intense week of diplomacy. The Kremlin administration, on the other hand, stated that Russian President Putin attaches great importance to his relations with President Erdogan and that the meeting will be followed closely.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will wrap up an intense week of diplomacy with a visit to Istanbul on Friday to discuss the Black Sea grain deal with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which once again faces an uncertain future.
Turkey and the United Nations mediated the deal last year that allowed the export of Ukrainian grain through the Russian blockade of the Black Sea. Moscow repeatedly threatened to abandon the deal, saying Russia was hindering its own exports, but with last-minute extensions, the deal remained in effect. The date of extension of the agreement with the decision taken in May ends on 17 July.
Russia is following the meeting closely.
On the Russian side, the visit is followed with interest. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry S. Peskov said on Friday that Russia will closely monitor the results of the meeting. Peskov stated that Russia sees Turkey as an important partner and “highly values” its relationship with Erdogan.
Ukraine’s application for membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will be an open question at President Biden’s two-day summit. The meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday is designed to show transatlantic unity and solidarity in support of Ukraine as it fights against the Russian invasion. Ukrainian President Zelenskiy said that he expects the alliance to send an invitation to Ukraine at the event, even if his country does not become a full member until the war is over.
Zelensky awaits a forward invitation.
In an interview with CNN on Wednesday evening, Zelenskiy said that he wants US President Joe Biden to invite Ukraine to NATO now, and that the American president is “decisive” on whether Ukraine will join the alliance.“Biden supports our future in NATO, but an invitation now will be a great motivation for Ukrainian soldiers,” Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in an interview.