Turkey's Erdogan says Black Sea grain deal can be restored soon

After talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan expressed optimism about reviving the grain deal that facilitates Ukrainian grain exports, a critical move for alleviating the global food crisis. Russia had exited the deal in July, citing obstacles to its own food and fertilizer exports. Erdogan is working with the United Nations to address Russia's concerns, urging Ukraine to soften its stance for the deal's revival. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, however, refused to yield to Russian demands. Putin is willing to rejoin the deal if restrictions on Russian agricultural exports are lifted, rejecting accusations that Russia's withdrawal exacerbated the food crisis. The U.N. Secretary-General has proposed solutions to meet Russia's demands, including reconnecting the Russian Agricultural Bank to the SWIFT payments system. Putin also mentioned plans for grain supply to Turkey and six African countries, separate from the grain deal.