Germany praises Türkiye’s diplomacy to revive Black Sea grain deal

By Oliver Towfigh Nia

BERLIN (AA) - German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Monday praised Türkiye’s diplomatic efforts to revive the Black Sea grain deal, calling it “important.”

“(Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s game with the grain deal is a cynical one. Türkiye’s efforts to get the deal back on track are important,” Baerbock said at a press briefing with her Romanian counterpart Luminita Odobescu in Berlin.

“Russia is exacerbating the global hunger crisis. Russia is pointing the guns of its warships in the Black Sea to grain vessels and is bombing hubs for grain transport,” she added.

Baerbock’s statements coincided with the arrival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Russian coastal city of Sochi where he met Putin.

On July 17, Russia suspended its participation in the Black Sea grain deal, brokered by Türkiye and the UN, to transport grains from three Ukrainian ports.

Odobescu echoed Baerbock’s remarks by condemning Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure.

“We are seeing practically that Russia cynically attacks and continues to attack the civilian infrastructure, not allowing Ukraine to export their cereals,” Romania’s top diplomat said.

- Romania denies Russian drones fell on its territory

Odobescu also denied news reports that Russian drones fell and detonated on Romanian territory on Sunday night.

“The Minister of Defense and all the institutions responsible in the field monitored in real time the situation generated by the Russian drone attacks conducted last night (Sunday) against infrastructure of Ukrainian ports. The drone attacks by the Russian Federation did not pose any direct military threats against our national territory or Romania’s territorial waters,” she said.

Asked if there could have been an accidental Russian missile or drone hit on Romanian territory, Odobescu replied: “Of course there is a risk because what happens there is very close to our border (with Ukraine).

“Of course there is a risk of accidents and incidents but for the time being it was not the case,” she added.