Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday (19) that there had been progress in negotiations on Ukrainian grain exports to the Black Sea and thanked his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan for conducting the negotiations. In the second trip abroad since the start of the conflict on the European continent, the Russian landed in Iran, where he met with the country’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, and is yet to meet the Turkish.
Turkey is acting as a mediator in negotiations between Moscow and Kiev on the export of Ukrainian grain, whose paralysis during the conflict has led to higher prices and accelerated the food crisis.
More than discussing proposals for deadlocks stemming from the war, Putin’s mission abroad sounds like a response to US President Joe Biden, who last week visited Israel and Saudi Arabia in an attempt to counter the influence of Iran and Saudi Arabia. Russia over the Middle East.
At the same time, Tehran and Moscow are trying to join forces to mitigate the effects of sanctions imposed by Western countries. While Moscow saw restrictions intensified in the Ukraine War, Iran is subject to international restrictions due to its nuclear weapons development program.
“Contact with Khamenei is very important,” said Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign policy adviser. “A dialogue of trust developed between them on the most important issues on the bilateral and international agenda. On most issues, positions are close or identical.”
Footage of Putin’s meeting with Khamenei showed the leaders sitting talking in a white-walled room. Only an Iranian flag and a portrait of the Iranian could be seen in the background.
For Iran, intensifying strategic relations with Russia is seen as fundamental in the face of the rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Israel, the result of American efforts and with the potential to further isolate Tehran in the Middle East.
Tehran also considers that closer ties with Moscow has the potential to increase the country’s bargaining power over Washington in the attempt to resume the 2015 nuclear deal – in Israel, Joe Biden said that Iran is closer to developing such a weapon.
Iranian leaders are in a hurry to ease the impact of international sanctions on the country, considering that Russia’s rapprochement with China in recent months has significantly reduced Iran’s oil exports to Beijing – a key source of income for Tehran since the Former US President Donald Trump reimposed restrictions in 2018.
The talks will be closely monitored by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who arrived in Tehran on Monday (18), and held bilateral meetings with Iranian leaders on the Turkish offensive in Syria.
In recent days, Erdogan has threatened to launch more military operations to extend what he called “safe zones” in Syria, which Moscow and Tehran reject. “Maintaining Syria’s territorial integrity is very important, and any military strike in northern Syria will certainly harm Turkey, Syria and the entire region and benefit terrorists,” Khamenei told Erdogan.
Erdogan said terrorism remains a common concern and threat for Iran and Turkey, and that the two countries need to fight a battle against all threats, including Kurdish fighters in Turkey, Syria and Iran deemed terrorists by Ankara.
Russia and Iran are the biggest supporters of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, while Turkey supports insurgents in the country.
