Only Erdoğan can convince Putin to return to grain deal - Kuleba

According to Ukrinform, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said this in an interview with Reuters.

"I think it is no exaggeration to say that President Erdoğan is probably the only person in the world who can convince President Putin to return to the Black Sea Grain Initiative," he said.

Russia's refusal last month to extend the grain deal that allows Ukrainian grain to leave Black Sea ports also hit Africa hard. Ukraine's Foreign Minister has already made three visits to the African continent since the beginning of Russia's war.

According to him, Ukraine's goals in Africa include cooperation in areas such as education, construction, and digitalization.

"Unlike Russia, we want to invest in Africa what will be beneficial for them and for us. Russia's largest investment in Africa is the Wagner PMC, which is an investment in the danger of Africa," Kuleba said.

Among other things, he also called a "breakthrough" the meeting in Jeddah, where the second meeting at the level of national security advisers and political directors on key principles of peace based on President Zelensky's Peace Formula was held on August 5-6.

"We are fully satisfied with the dynamics of this process. I believe that the meeting in Jeddah was a breakthrough. For the first time we brought together countries representing the whole world, not just Europe and North America," the minister added.

He noted that the number of countries interested in participating in meetings such as the one in Jeddah has increased significantly in recent weeks, adding that these events lay an important foundation for future negotiations on Ukraine's vision of peace.

The Peace Formula, in particular, refers to ensuring radiation, nuclear, food, and energy security, releasing all war prisoners and deportees, implementing the UN Charter, restoring Ukraine's territorial integrity, withdrawing Russian troops, ending Russia’s hostilities, restoring justice, countering ecocide, preventing escalation, and fixing the end of Russia’s war.