Iran provides Putin with substantial backing in Tehran on Ukraine.

In the brutal crises in Syria and Libya, Turkey, a NATO member, has found itself pitted against Russia. Even lethal drones delivered to Ukrainian forces for use against Russian troops have been sold by the company. A key ally for Moscow, Ankara has not placed sanctions on the Kremlin. For its economic survival, Turkey relies on the Russian market, which is struggling with high inflation and a weak currency. Breaking News

It took almost a full minute of waiting for Putin to join the room before Erdogan began to praise Russia’s “very, very favorable approach,” which the two countries discussed at last week’s grain negotiations in Istanbul, Turkey. He expressed optimism that an agreement would be struck, and “the result that will emerge would have a beneficial impact on the entire world.”

While they were preparing to begin their discussion, Putin complimented Erdogan for his efforts to “bring ahead” the Ukrainian grain exports agreement. Progress has been made on some concerns, but not all of them have been settled, Putin said.

Russian grain exports could be eased if the West eases sanctions on Ukraine, according to the Russian foreign minister.

Russia and international organizations have achieved a preliminary agreement, Putin said. “They have taken the trouble to put it all together,” he said. “We’ll have to wait and see what happens in the near future.”

Russia has effectively abolished limits on its supply of fertilizer to the worldwide market, and “if they truly want to ameliorate the situation in the global food market, I hope they will do the same with Russian grain exports,” he stated.

Grain and other agricultural supplies stuck in Ukraine’s Black Sea ports by the war have achieved a tentative agreement with U.N., Russian, Ukrainian, and Turkish authorities on some components of a pact to assure their export. Reaching an agreement would be a significant step toward resolving the food crisis, which has pushed the prices of essential commodities like wheat and barley skyrocketing in the past several months.

On whether or not the political settlement discussions with Ukraine may resume, Putin stated that Russia was thankful to Erdogan and other international mediators, but underlined that “we are seeing that Kyiv’s rulers have no such ambition.

For Putin’s domestic audience, the trip to Tehran has symbolic significance, demonstrating Russia’s international strength at a time when the country is becoming increasingly isolated and colliding with the West. U.S. Vice President Joe Biden has recently returned from a trip to Israel and Saudi Arabia, two of Tehran’s main adversaries.

Vice President Joe Biden urged Israel and the Arab world to resist the growing influence of Russia, China and Iran as a result of the perception that the United States is withdrawing from the region.

Getting the word out was a challenge. With Russia’s presence in Syria, Israel’s neighbor to the north and frequent target of its bombings, Israel maintains cordial relations with Putin. With Moscow’s approval, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates have decided not to increase their oil output beyond the agreed-upon level of production.

A closer alliance to resist Iran’s nuclear program since former US President Donald Trump abandoned the nuclear agreement Tehran had with the world powers and reinstated crippling sanctions has been possible among all countries, despite longstanding rivalry. Negotiations to get the transaction back on track have come to a halt.

Iran’s leadership, cornered by the West and regional adversaries, is stepping up nuclear enrichment, cracking down on dissidents, and capturing headlines with positive, hard-line statements designed to prevent the rial, Iran’s currency, from falling too far. Despite the fact that Moscow looks to be undercutting Tehran in the black market oil trade, Iran has formed a tactical alliance with Russia in the absence of respite from sanctions.

He said that the discussions will “promote economic relations, focus on security of the region… and assure food security,” writing on Twitter that “Iran is (the) heart of active diplomacy.”

The Iranian parliament has an influential committee on national security and international affairs, which Fadahossein Maleki, a member of, described as the country’s “most crucial partner” on Monday. Since Russia occupied Iran during World War II, there has been a long-standing hatred between the two countries.

According to the White House, Russian officials have visited an airport in central Iran at least twice in the last several weeks to assess weapons-capable drones from Tehran for possible use in Ukraine, an indication of increased military collaboration.

At his conversations with Iranian authorities, Putin praised the importance of Moscow and Tehran’s tight ties.

As Putin and Raisi began their discussion, Putin stated that relations between the two countries were “growing at a healthy rate,” adding that the two countries had worked to “intensify their cooperation on international security and contribute considerably to the settlement of the Syrian issue.”

In a final statement, Obama expressed his strong support for Tehran in the standoff over the nuclear deal, calling for its full reactivation and a total relaxation of sanctions against Iran to allow “free development of cooperation in any areas without any discrimination.

With regard to Syria’s long-running conflict, Iran, Russia, and Turkey have all supported President Bashar Assad’s regime, while Turkey has supported armed opposition factions. Assad’s nascent army was given a boost by Russian air power and joint efforts with Iranian forces in 2015.

Turkey’s move to expel US-backed Syrian Kurdish militants from its borders, in line with past warnings of a fresh military offensive in northern Syria, was the emphasis of Erdogan’s remarks.

As part of Turkey’s efforts to create a safe zone along its border with Syria, the planned operation is intended to persuade Syrian refugees to return to Turkey.

According to Erdogan, Turkey is committed to “driving out the centers of evil” that threaten its national security and stability.

Russia and Iran are expected to back Turkey in this struggle, he added, adding that the areas of Tel Rifaat and Manbij, where Turkey has announced it plans to put its forces, have become a “terror bed.”

In Erdogan’s opinion, the greatest service to Syrians would be if the separatist terrorist group were completely expelled from the areas it currently controls.

A joint statement issued by the three presidents “rejected all attempts to create new realities on the ground under the pretext of combating terrorism, including illegitimate self-rule initiatives, and expressed their determination to stand against separatist agendas,” which appears to have been a reference to Turkey’s concerns.

Meanwhile, Khamenei told Erdogan in a separate meeting that Turkey’s planned assault into Iran would be a grave mistake.

According to Iran’s senior leader, any military action in northern Syria would be detrimental to Turkey, Syria, and the entire region, and would help terrorists.

Russia’s use of its veto power at the UN Security Council this week to limit relief deliveries to 4.1 million people in Syria’s rebel-held northwest after six months, rather than a year, has put humanitarian difficulties in Syria back in the spotlight. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan insisted that six months were not enough time.

There is unanimous support for removing American military from Syria, according to Raisi. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin blasted the United States’ military presence in Syria, saying that it was “attempts to cement unlawful foreign military presence and foment separatist sentiments.” He also said that all areas east of the Euphrates River should be returned to Syrian government control.

 

From Moscow, Isachenkov filed this report. Ankara, Turkey’s Suzan Fraser and Dubai’s Isabel DeBre contributed reporting for The Associated Press.