Russia backs out of Ukraine grain deal

When Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appeared to turn his back on Vladimir Putin last week, we asked whether this diplomatic shift could endanger Russia’s deal to facilitate Ukrainian grain shipments since Erdogan had originally worked to broker the deal. We didn’t have to wait long to learn the answer. Earlier today, Russia announced that the deal was on hold, placing critical grain shipments to Africa and Asia at risk. But a Russian spokesperson said that the hold was temporary and would be lifted as soon as Russia’s demands are met. That might be a challenge, however, since the demands in question don’t make very much sense. (AP)Read More