Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan informed his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, that efforts are underway to revive the Black Sea grain initiative. The two leaders met on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Washington on Thursday to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war and other regional and global issues.
During their closed-door meeting, Erdogan reiterated Türkiye’s commitment to ending the conflict that began in February 2022, emphasizing the pursuit of a just peace. He expressed Ankara’s readiness to support any initiative, including mediation, to facilitate peace.
Türkiye has consistently urged Kiev and Moscow to resolve their differences through negotiations. In March 2022, Türkiye hosted a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers in Antalya, which led to the landmark grain deal in 2022. However, Moscow did not extend the agreement after July 2023, citing restrictions on Russian grain exports.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban praised Türkiye’s role in peace efforts since the Ukraine war began, highlighting President Erdogan’s success in brokering the grain deal. Orban shared his appreciation in a video on his social media account after meeting Erdogan at NATO’s 75th anniversary event in Washington.
Orban described his diplomatic visits to Ukraine, Russia, and China as part of a “peace mission” and stressed the importance of continued engagement with Erdogan. He commended Türkiye’s crucial role in peace talks and noted Erdogan’s unique achievement in negotiating the Black Sea grain deal. Despite the significant divide between the warring parties, Orban emphasized that joint efforts by peace advocates could advance toward a resolution, urging Erdogan to support Hungary’s peace mission.
