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Zelenskiy, Erdogan to Discuss Grain Deal, Prisoner Swaps

HANDOUT - 01 July 2023, Ukraine, Kiev: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a joint press conference with Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez (not pictured) following their meeting. Photo: Ukrainian Presidency/dpa
HANDOUT - 01 July 2023, Ukraine, Kiev: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a joint press conference with Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez (not pictured) following their meeting. Photo: Ukrainian Presidency/dpa
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Zelenskiy, Erdogan to Discuss Grain Deal, Prisoner Swaps

HANDOUT - 01 July 2023, Ukraine, Kiev: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a joint press conference with Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez (not pictured) following their meeting. Photo: Ukrainian Presidency/dpa
HANDOUT - 01 July 2023, Ukraine, Kiev: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a joint press conference with Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez (not pictured) following their meeting. Photo: Ukrainian Presidency/dpa

The presidents of Ukraine and Türkiye will discuss on Friday the potential extension of the Black Sea grain deal and a possible prisoner exchange between Moscow and Kyiv, a senior Turkish official said ahead of the talks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will meet Turkish leader Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul following visits to Bulgaria and the Czech Republic, part of a tour of some NATO capitals aimed at encouraging them to take concrete steps at a summit next week towards granting Kyiv membership of the alliance, Reuters said.
A key element of Zelenskiy's talks in Istanbul will be the fate of a deal, brokered last year by Türkiye and the United Nations, to allow for the safe export of grain from Ukrainian ports via the Black Sea despite the war raging across Ukraine.
Russia, angry about aspects of the grain deal's implementation, has threatened not to allow its further extension beyond July 17.
As well as the grain deal and a possible prisoner swap, Erdogan and Zelenskiy will also discuss efforts to end the war in Ukraine, the senior Turkish official said.
Türkiye, a NATO member, has managed to retain cordial relations with both Russia and Ukraine over the past 16 months of the war and last year it helped to broker prisoner exchanges.
Türkiye has not joined its Western allies in imposing economic sanctions on Russia, but has also supplied arms to Ukraine and called for its sovereignty to be respected.
Erdogan and Zelenskiy are scheduled to hold a press conference at 1800 GMT on Friday.
The Turkish official said Erdogan might hold a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin following his talks with Zelenskiy. A Turkish minister could also visit Moscow for further discussions, the official added.

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Iran Warns Against Strikes on Its Nuclear Facilities

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. (Iranian Foreign Ministry)
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. (Iranian Foreign Ministry)
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Iran Warns Against Strikes on Its Nuclear Facilities

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. (Iranian Foreign Ministry)
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. (Iranian Foreign Ministry)

Iran has described any attack on its nuclear facilities as “madness” that would lead to a “major catastrophe” in the region, while urging Washington to take further steps to gain Tehran’s trust at this stage.

In televised remarks, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated: “An attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities would be a disaster with dire consequences.”

He continued: “I don’t think they would make such a grave mistake. Such an action would be sheer madness and would drag the region into a major catastrophe.”

Last week, US President Donald Trump expressed hope for reaching an agreement with Iran and “avoiding strikes” on its nuclear sites.

Araghchi noted that convincing Tehran to resume negotiations with Washington “will take much longer than before,” emphasizing that the current circumstances “are far more difficult, and the US must take serious steps to earn Iran’s trust,” according to Sky News Arabia.

“Iran is willing to hear President Donald Trump’s proposals regarding new negotiations on the Iranian file,” he continued, adding: “That doesn’t necessarily mean we will reject everything that comes from the United States.”

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, referring to threats from what he called the “enemies of the Iranian people,” said Iran “will not back down in the face of threats and sanctions, nor will it engage in war or conflict with the world.”

Iran fears that Trump’s return to office could mean a revival of the “maximum pressure” policy aimed at forcing Tehran to change its regional behavior, particularly as its nuclear program advances toward enrichment levels close to weapons-grade.

According to Axios, Iran has proposed negotiating with Trump to sign a “new nuclear deal.” The report stated that Iranian representatives asked European diplomats to relay a message to Washington, indicating that they are waiting for a plan or proposal from the United States.

Separately, Araghchi downplayed Trump’s proposal to relocate Palestinians from Gaza, sarcastically saying: “Instead of displacing Palestinians, Jews should be relocated to Greenland.”

The minister also addressed the status of Hamas and Hezbollah - both backed by Iran -, acknowledging that they “have faced pressure and damage but continue rebuilding their capabilities.”