Russian President Vladimir Putin waves to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as he leaves after their talks at Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russia, Monday, Sept. 4, 2023. (Sergei Karpukhin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)Russian President Vladimir Putin says a wartime deal that allowed Ukraine to export grain safely through the Black Sea won’t be restored until the West meets Moscow’s demands on its own agricultural exportsRussian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that a landmark deal allowing Ukraine to export grain safely through the Black Sea amid the war won’t be restored until the West meets Moscow's demands on its own agricultural exports. But failure to revive the agreement will have “drastic impacts” in countries such as Somalia and Egypt that rely heavily on Black Sea grain, according to Galip Dalay, an associate fellow at the Chatham House think tank in London. In addition to pulling out of the grain deal, Russia has repeatedly attacked the Odesa region, where Ukraine’s main Black Sea port is. Russia may be hoping it can use its power over Ukraine’s Black Sea exports as a bargaining chip to reduce Western economic sanctions.

Source: ABC News September 04, 2023 08:14 UTC