At the latest with the attack on Ukraine in February, Vladimir Putin finally gambled away the trust of the West. Between the fronts, Turkish President Erdogan likes to play the role of mediator – while protecting Turkish interests. These may also have played a role in the renewed grain agreement.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed his trusting relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Thanks to the “trust and solidarity” between them, Erdogan said he was able to convince his Russian counterpart to resume the grain deal with Ukraine. “We could not have taken this step if there had not been trust between us,” said the Turkish leader. In addition, the “solidarity” between the two countries, for example in the areas of nuclear energy and defense, “feeds the respect between us,” he argued.
Ukraine’s grain exports through the Black Sea Humanitarian Corridor resumed in early November following talks between Erdogan and Putin after Russia suspended the deal for a few days.
NATO member Turkey has reaffirmed its support for Ukraine, but has so far not participated in the sanctions against Russia for the attack on Ukraine, despite increased pressure from the EU and the USA. Erdogan argued with the neutral mediator role of his country. But Ankara is also benefiting economically: Turkish exports to Russia have almost doubled in recent months.
Turkey supplies combat drones to Ukraine. But it has also acquired a Russian S-400 missile defense system and a nuclear power plant under construction in the south of the country. Erdogan also instructed his government in October to start work on a “gas hub” proposed by Putin to transport natural gas to other countries.
