Russia confirms date of Putin-Erdogan meeting

This was reported by Interfax, citing a statement by the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov.

"The talks will take place on Monday. They will be held in Sochi. It will be in the middle of the day," Peskov said.

It is reported that Erdoğan will insist on the resumption of the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

This meeting will be a rare visit by a NATO leader to Russia during a full-scale war in Ukraine.

Ankara has not yet confirmed the date of the meeting.

What is known about the meeting between Erdoğan and Putin

On July 16, the last ship loaded with Ukrainian agricultural products under the initiative left the port of Odesa. On 17 July, Russia announced the termination of the grain deal. In response, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that it was necessary to continue using the grain corridor even despite Russia's withdrawal from the agreement.

Southern African countries are trying to convince Russia to return to negotiations on an agreement on the safe export of grain from Black Sea ports, which it abandoned last month. 

On August 9, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced his intention to resume the grain deal with an “expanded scope” and called on Western countries to “fulfill their promises”.

Ihor Semyvolos, director of the Center for Middle East Studies, said on Espreso TV that the meeting between Erdoğan and Putin could result in Russia's return to the grain deal.

On August 19, media reported that Russia, Turkey, and Qatar were allegedly preparing a new grain deal without Ukraine.

On August 20, it became known that Turkey was working to resume exports of agricultural products from Ukraine, as the termination of the grain deal could have global consequences, as the price of grain has already risen by 15%.

On August 29, Erdoğan's party confirmed his meeting with Putin in Sochi.

On August 31, ahead of the meeting between Erdogan and Putin, the Turkish and Russian foreign ministers met in Moscow to discuss the grain deal and peace in Ukraine.