 "Putin says there will be no new grain deal until West meets his demands")
Russian President Vladimir Putin says there will be no new deal to ship grain through the Black Sea until the West meets his demands.
Putin spoke after talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday. Erdogan helped broker the original deal that allowed Ukraine to safely export its grain.
Putin also said that Russia is close to finalizing an agreement to provide free grain to six African countries.
Talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan began on Monday with the Turkish leader seeking to persuade Russia to revive an agreement that allowed Ukraine to export grain and other commodities from three Black Sea ports.
Putin in July refused to extend the agreement, which was brokered by Turkiye and the United Nations a year earlier.
Russia complained that a parallel deal promising to remove obstacles to Russian exports of food and fertilizer hadn't been honoured. It said restrictions on shipping and insurance hampered its agricultural trade even though it has shipped record amounts of wheat since last year.
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Opening the talks, Putin said he was open to discussing the grain deal, among other issues.
The two leaders met in Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi on Monday, where the Russian president has a residence.