Putin has agreed to extend Black Sea grain deal, says Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to extend the Black Sea grain deal. The deal is going to expire next week.

Erdogan told reporters that he had spoken with Putin about the crucial deal.

Russian invasion of Ukraine had stopped Ukraine's grain exports. This had raised the spectre of a global food crisis. The Black Sea grain deal was signed after five months into the Ukraine war and has been extended several times but is againset to expire on Monday. Putin has repeatedly threatened that Russia would not renew it.

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"We are preparing to welcome Putin in August and we agree on the extension of the Black Sea grain corridor," Erdogan told reporters.

United Nations General Secretary Antonio Guterres sent a letter to Putin this week about extension of the deal. The secretary general has supported removing hurdles to Russia exporting its fertilisers. Moscow has complained that obstacles to Russia's own exports have not been removed.

Erdogan said he hopes "that with this letter we will ensure the extension of the grain corridor with our joint efforts and those of Russia."

Not onecondition met: Putin

President Putin complained on Thursday that "not one" of Moscow's conditions for the deal to function had been met.

"I want to emphasise that nothing was done, nothing at all. It's all one-sided," Putin said in a televised interview, adding: "We will think about what to do, we have a few more days."

The deal between Russia and Ukraine was brokered by the United Nations and Turkey. The deal has till now, allowed Ukraine to ship more than 32 million tonnes of grain past Russian warships stationed in the Black Sea.

A large part of the grain has gone to feed people in developing countries in the African continent, West Asia and elsewhere. If the deal is not extended and the exports are blocked again, food prices can soar.

Advanced 2 km along front, says Ukraine

Meanwhile, Ukraine said on Friday that its troops advanced nearly two kilometres along the southern front over the past week.

Mykola Urshalovych, a senior representative of the National Guard, told reporters that the force's 15th Karadag brigade and regular troops had moved towards the occupied southern city of Melitopol during the ongoing offensive.

He said that the soldiers, "supported by tanks have advanced 1700 metres to theh south and southwest"

He added that Ukrainian troops are moving ahead in spite of "dense" minefields and shelling.

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on issues surroundingUkraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

(With inputs from agencies)

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