The Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said today Monday that he will discuss with the Russian president Vladimir Putin the extension of the agreement allowing the export of grain from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports beyond its current deadline of July 17.

Speaking ahead of his departure for the NATO summit in Vilnius, Erdogan noted that he expects Putin to visit Turkey in August.

The Kremlin “emptied” Erdogan

However, the Kremlin announced today that “there is nothing new to say” on the Black Sea grain export agreement, which is expected to expire next week.

The representative of the Kremlin Dmitry Peskov told reporters that there are currently “no plans for Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet with his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan to discuss renewing the agreement and that it is not known when Putin may visit Turkey.”

Moscow has repeatedly said it sees no reason to extend the deal beyond July 17. It allows Ukraine to export grain from its Black Sea ports, but Russia says not enough has been done to remove barriers to its own grain and fertilizer exports.

The Kremlin conveyed in a stern tone that Turkey has the right to develop relations with any country, including Ukraine, but that these relations they should not be aimed against Russia.

Relations between Moscow and Ankara strained last week after Turkey handed over five Ukrainian commanders of the Azov Battalion back to Kiev, a move Russia called a violation of a prisoner exchange deal.

However, commenting on whether this will affect the creation of a proposed Russian “gas hub” in Turkey, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov clarified that Russia plans to continue his relations with Ankara.

Peskov had said on Saturday that both Ukraine and Turkey had violated the terms of the agreement which stipulated that Azov commanders would remain in Turkey until the end of the war.