Kremlin Threatens To Quit Grain Export Deal After Turkey Violated Its Agreement With Russia On The Fate Of Five Imprisoned Azov Battalion Members

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, centre, and other officials pose for a picture with commanders of defenders of the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works in Mariupol inside a plane as they return to Ukraine from Istanbul, Turkey July 8, 2023 [Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters]  

Business Insider: Russia said it was blindsided by Turkey after Zelenskyy left the country with formerly imprisoned Azov battalion members 

* Five Ukrainian soldiers returned from Turkey, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced. 

* Russia said Turkey violated an agreement for the soldiers to stay until the war's end. 

* The comments came after Turkey's Erdogan announced he would host Vladimir Putin.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy collected five previously imprisoned Azov battalion commanders in a recent trip to Turkey, prompting confusion from Russia, which accused Ankara of walking back an agreement to keep them until the war's end. 

In a Saturday video posted by Zelenskyy, commanding members of the battalion — a white nationalist paramilitary force within the Ukrainian National Guard — can be seen hugging the Ukrainian president before they board a plane. 

The commanders had been captured in the port city of Mariupol. "We are returning home from Turkey and bringing our heroes home," a post on Zelenskyy's Twitter read.  

Read more ....  

Update: Moscow denounces return of Mariupol commanders sent to Turkey in prisoner swap (Reuters)  

WNU Editor: Because Turkey violated its agreement with Russia on holding these Ukrainian prisoners until the end of the war, the Kremlin is now in a position to break its arrangement with Turkey concerning the exportation of Ukrainian wheat. 

I know the Kremlin has been looking for a way out of this Ukraine grain deal when they realized that Western sanctions that had put limits on Russia's grain exports was not going to be lifted. This story is not covered at all in the West, but in Russia many see this as a humiliation and that the Kremlin was stupid/naive to think that the West would permit Russia to export its grain to its overseas customers.

A prediction. 

Putin is suppose to visit Erdogan next month where the Ukraine grain deal will be discussed .... Turkey's Erdogan to host Putin, hopes for Black Sea grain deal extension (Reuters). I expect Putin will be putting a lot of pressure on Erdogan that if he wants this deal, he must put pressure on his Western allies to permit Russia the same terms and conditions that Ukraine now has. 

Update #2: The Kremlin is not wasting time. They are already threatening to quit the grain export deal when it comes up for renewal on July 17, saying demands to facilitate sales of its own grain and fertiliser have not been met .... Russian, Turkish ministers talk after Turkey sends Ukrainian commanders home (Reuters).