Putin, Erdogan discuss energy, grain

MOSCOW/ANKARA/KYIV — Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed cooperation in the energy sector and the Black Sea grain export deal during a phone call on Sunday.

The leaders emphasized the importance of joint energy projects, primarily in the gas industry, and the continued exchanges of views on Putin's initiative to create a regional gas hub in Turkiye, the Kremlin said in a statement.

On the grain deal signed in Istanbul in July, Erdogan told Putin the agreement ensured that over 13 million tons of grain had reached those in need. The countries could also start "working on the export of different food products and gradually other commodities through the grain corridor", Turkiye's presidency said in a statement.

The grain agreement, signed on July 22, is also backed by the United Nations.

Ankara says it has been making efforts to pave the way for the resumption of Russian grain and fertilizer exports to world markets as well.

The Kremlin said in a statement that in addition to talking about energy and grain, Putin "outlined his fundamental assessment of the situation around Ukraine".

Also on Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held talks with US President Joe Biden and with the leaders of Turkiye and France.

"We are constantly working with partners," Zelensky said in his nightly video address.

Biden told Zelensky that Washington is prioritizing efforts to boost Ukraine's air defense through the assistance it is offering, the White House said in a statement.

Earlier, Zelensky said that he held "a very meaningful" conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron on "defense, energy, economy, diplomacy" that lasted more than an hour and "very specific" talks with Erdogan on ensuring Ukraine's grain exports.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was expected to hold on Monday an online meeting with G7 leaders and European Union foreign ministers to try to agree on additional aid or arms deliveries to Ukraine.

Against the backdrop of an energy crisis in Europe resulting from the Ukraine conflict, the RIA news agency quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying on Sunday that the region is simply switching from dependency on Russian gas to dependency on liquefied natural gas from the United States.

European Union countries held emergency negotiations over the weekend as they attempt to line up a deal to cap gas prices at a meeting on Tuesday of their energy ministers, but states remain split over the plan.

Peskov called the European desire to shake off dependency on Russian gas "absurd" and "frenzied". "They have changed dependency on Russia to dependency on American liquefied natural gas," RIA quoted Peskov as saying on state television, noting that the dependence was the same, just with "much less reciprocity".

"And now, when the Europeans are losing billions of euros every day, Washington is already earning these billions of dollars," Peskov said.

Xinhua - Agencies