talks between Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Sochi

On September 4, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Sochi. Special Correspondent “Kommersant” Andrey Kolesnikov believes that at this meeting the presidents finally buried the grain deal, for which, first of all, Mr. Erdogan came.

The meeting between Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Rus sanatorium started early. Before the landing of the Turkish President’s plane, as well as the plane with members of the Russian delegation and journalists, the rain in Sochi ended, the sun blazed furiously, and in half an hour it was so dry on the streets of the city, as if it hadn’t rained for the whole last month.

Members of the Russian delegation arrived in the meeting room earlier than their Turkish counterparts.

— Oh, the banquet hall! – Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov became extremely animated. – Well, well …

But his expectations were not destined to come true. More precisely, the expectations came true exactly the opposite. That is, photojournalists were waiting for him in the banquet hall.

And Mr. Lavrov, just sitting in an armchair, begged:

– Wait for the main guests! What do I feel like in a zoo?!

But the photojournalists, for whom Sergey Lavrov is known for his special love (after all, it was to them that he dedicated his immortal “morons, b …”), were ruthless. Most have modern silent cameras, but there is sure to be one in the ranks who chirps without interruption with his old-fashioned one. This time the photojournalist of MK was noted. Photographers were mainly obliged to her for the increased attention from the Minister.

The Russian delegation turned out to be so representative that the chair of the Minister of Agriculture Dmitry Patrushev ended up behind the second semicircle of the cordon of journalists.

I asked the minister:

– Isn’t it strange that the grain deal is discussed in the first place, and you were made the last one on the other side?

– We’re doing it! – Dmitry Patrushev explained. – And those who decide, just all there! And he waved his hand towards the empty seats of Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

“But something has not yet been decided or implemented.

“Maybe it’s for the better,” Dmitry Patrushev said unexpectedly frankly.

By the way, such a fact speaks about his good breeding and even, perhaps, intelligence. At some point, an employee of the protocol ran into the banquet hall and, seeing one of the operators, rushed to him with a quiet, almost silent, but still cry:

– Dima, can you leave already ?!

Mr. Patrushev instinctively took half a step back.

Later than all the other members of the delegations, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu appeared in the banquet hall. Here, unlike Sergey Lavrov, his plans did not exactly include negotiations with journalists, even from a position of strength.

“Now Turkey, in the full sense of the word, has become a member of the international club of nuclear states,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan reassured Vladimir Putin (the head of Rosatom, Alexei Likhachev, was also here, in the middle of the row.— A.K.).— After the delivery of the first batch of Russian nuclear fuel to the Akkuyu station.

Interestingly, did Belarus become a member of this club after the delivery of tactical nuclear weapons from Russia to its territory?

“Next year, everything is going according to plan, we will launch the first block,” the Russian president continued. “Of course, we will not ignore the issues related to the Ukrainian crisis. I know you intend to raise questions about the grain deal. We are open to negotiations on this matter.

However, this openness and just a little, and immediately a tired tone, made one doubt that they would succeed at all: precisely because Mr. everything: Rosselkhozbank’s access to the SWIFT system, and the lifting of sanctions against Russian firms selling fertilizers, as well as from ships transporting grain, etc., etc.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan looked like an important and unhurried person. True, this importance was quickly shattered by a microphone for simultaneous translation, with which the President of Turkey had problems – well, just on purpose.

However, what Recep Tayyip Erdogan said turned out to be quite benevolent in all respects. He attached great importance to his mission in Sochi. The history of the grain deal, in his opinion, is being watched by the whole world with unflagging attention. And the Turkish president hopes that already at a press conference after the talks, the leaders will announce the long-awaited result.

In addition, Recep Tayyip Erdogan thanked Vladimir Putin for the aircraft that Russia provided to Turkey to extinguish fires. The Turkish president immediately asked for two more planes, and this suggests that the gratitude of Recep Tayyip Erdogan is not just for protocol courtesy, but that the planes are really doing their job.

Vladimir Putin, it seems, was delighted with the story with the planes (maybe he forgot about them). He again took the floor and added a few more about the same planes. Indeed, the topic of aircraft could be painlessly discussed for a long time, but not indefinitely, because at some point the very words “aircraft” and “fire” could lead to heavy associations with the recent past in relations between the two countries.

The negotiations were short. For lunch, red mullet fillet with tomato and Jerusalem artichoke, kharcho soup with beef, mullet with vegetables were served. I don’t want to say anything (but I say it), but before the menu in such cases was more sophisticated. Yes, it’s gotten a little easier.

However, perhaps they wanted to make the menu Black Sea. The Black Sea is, after all, exactly what Turkey and Russia have in common.

At the press conference, both presidents, to put it mildly, did not look enthusiastic. Recep Tayyip Erdogan has even said almost nothing at all about the grain deal. Apparently, she really doesn’t exist anymore.

Mr. Putin, not for the first time, said that he was “forced to make this decision.” I repeated why: the demands of Russia were ignored (due to ignoring some of the requirements, by the way, the war with Ukraine began).

“It could not be tolerated any longer,” Mr. Putin stated.

However, he added that, as it turned out, no one was hurt by the break in the grain deal.

— Grain prices in the world continue to decline!

He added:

“We are close to reaching agreements with African countries and are ready not only to give away grain for free, but also to deliver it free of charge.

Delivery will begin in the next two to three weeks.

Answering a question from a Turkish journalist, Mr. Putin again spoke out on the topic of the grain deal.

But before that, he said that with the participation of Mr. Erdogan, negotiations on a truce were held and even draft agreements were agreed upon, which “then Ukraine sent to …” he hesitated and seemed to decide at the last second to express himself culturally. “To the dump.”

Something else was more interesting:

– We heard about some new initiatives (of the Ukrainian side. – A. K.), but this is not something that has ever been discussed with us. Therefore, we do not perceive anything new, – Vladimir Putin, it seems, made it clear that if you turn to him, then maybe he will begin to perceive something.

As for the possibility of resuming the grain deal, there was less and less optimism at the press conference every minute. And if we consider that from the very beginning it did not exist at all, the situation should be recognized as extremely clear.

– Agreed with the UN on the fulfillment of a number of obligations in the interests of the Russian side. After the deal has come to an end (at the agreed time.— A.K.), no obligations were fulfilled, we were asked to extend it … with a promise to fulfill everything,” Vladimir Putin said and said. partners, we were cheated. Well everything!..

Everything was very clear, this deal does not exist and will never happen, because no one is going to fulfill Russian conditions as before.

In addition, it is worth remembering what Dmitry Patrushev said in a hurry: maybe for the better.

In the end, Russia did not lose from this. Another thing is that I wanted to win a lot of things.

“We will have a good harvest this year,” the President of Russia said, as if trying to get at least some pleasure from what was happening. “Last year it was 156 million tons, this year it will be 130 million … Yes, Dima?

Mr. Patrushev nodded instinctively again. This time it’s true.

— The export potential remains at the level of 60 million tons… Turkey is our big partner. Turkey has a large flour-grinding industry, we know that…” Mr. Putin looked reassuringly at his Turkish colleague. “We will fully ensure the interests of the Republic of Turkey!” And we will start helping the poorest countries… How much?.. 25-50 million tons will we supply each?

Dmitry Patrushev, thinking, froze. He imagined this great prospect. And everything is free. And we will deliver for free. And it will have to be done.

“Thousands,” said Mr. Patrushev, not very confidently, from the second row.

Yes, thousands! Mr. Putin corrected himself. “Thousand tons!”

Finally, Vladimir Putin, answering a question from an Interfax correspondent, said that the Ukrainian offensive was not stalling (as the journalist suggested).

– No. This is a failure,” Vladimir Putin said.

He is obviously not worried that Ukraine has been celebrating the breakthrough of the first line of Russian defense for several days.

Yes, apparently, and the truth does not bother. Does this mean that there is no such thing?

It was not yet six in the evening when the plane of the President of Turkey took off into the clear Sochi sky. The weather, unlike everything else, pleased, and even very much so.

Andrey Kolesnikov, Sochi