Germany's top diplomat criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin and hailed Türkiye's diplomatic efforts to revitalize the Ukraine grain deal, following the Russian leader's meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday.
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has slammed Putin's decision to block the U.N.-backed Black Sea Grain Initiative, accusing him of playing "cynical" games.
Putin is currently hosting President Erdoğan, who is trying to persuade him to revive the deal.
Erdoğan's efforts to "get the agreement back on track" were important, Baerbock said on Monday after a meeting with Romanian Foreign Minister Luminiţa Odobescu in Berlin.
"It is only because of Putin that the freighters do not have free passage again," Baerbock said, referring to ships loaded with Ukrainian grain that have been stuck in the country's Black Sea ports since July.
Moscow said back then it was halting participation in the year-old deal, which created corridors for the export of tens of millions of tons of grains and fertilizers, despite a Russian naval blockade of Ukraine.
"Russia is exacerbating global hunger," Baerbock said. Nevertheless, work on alternative routes continues, she said, "now more than ever."
Putin on Monday said Moscow was close to finalizing an agreement that would facilitate free exports of grain from Russia to six African nations with the help of Türkiye and Qatar, stressing the proposal was not planned as an alternative to the Black Sea initiative.
"We are close to completing agreements with six African states, where we intend to supply foodstuffs for free and even carry out delivery and logistics for free," Putin told a news conference alongside President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. "Deliveries will begin in the next couple of weeks."
The deal would include a supply of up to 1 million metric tons of grain to countries most in need via Türkiye with financial support from Qatar, the Russian leader said. The grain will be sent for subsequent processing at Turkish plants before being shipped to the African nations.
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.
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.
