The European Commission has shared its expectations following the meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi.

"The general expectation is that Russia will at least return to the Black Sea grain initiative. The main expectation is that Russia will cease its unlawful aggression against Ukraine, which includes blocking the Black Sea and disrupting grain exports," said Peter Stano, the European Commission's spokesperson for foreign affairs, during a briefing.

As an example, he cited the recent massive attack by Russia on Odesa and Dnipro in the night of September 4, targeting grain infrastructure.

Stano further mentioned that Russia benefits from blocking Ukrainian grain exports because it can sell its own wheat at higher prices. He emphasised that any claims of the EU creating obstacles for Russian exports are disinformation, manipulation, and falsehood. The EU is calling on Russia, first and foremost, to return to the Black Sea grain initiative and, secondly, to cease its unlawful aggression and the blockade of the Black Sea.

As previously reported, Russian President Vladimir Putin told Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the meeting in Sochi he was open for discussion on Russia's participation in the grain deal.

Prior to this, Erdoğan had travelled to Russian Sochi for a meeting with Russian President Putin. The Turkish President's administration stated that during the meeting, Erdoğan would discuss "current regional and global issues as well as Turkish-Russian relations."

In late August, the foreign ministers of Ukraine and Türkiye, Dmytro Kuleba and Hakan Fidan, discussed the revival of the grain deal in Kyiv.

Afterward, Fidan, during a visit to Moscow and following a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, called for the revival of the Black Sea grain initiative.