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No preparations for Putin's planned visit to Turkey yet — Kremlin aide

When asked whether Putin and Erdogan would discuss Ukraine and the grain deal at the upcoming meeting, Yury Ushakov pointed out that the topics would depend on the timing of the visit

ST. PETERSBURG, June 16. /TASS/. Preparations for Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Turkey have not yet begun, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov told reporters.

"There is no understanding on the dates [of the visit to Turkey] yet, because there is practically no such real preparation yet, it has not started," he said.

The Kremlin aide recalled that there is a corresponding invitation from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "Moreover, there is a verbal agreement between the two presidents that it is our turn to visit Ankara or Istanbul," Ushakov added.

When asked whether Putin and Erdogan would discuss Ukraine and the grain deal at the upcoming meeting, the Kremlin aide pointed out that the topics would depend on the timing of the visit. "I don't know, it depends on the time of the visit, maybe there will be other topical issues. But it is obvious that Ukraine will probably be on the agenda," Ushakov said, adding that it was premature to talk about it now, as the parties had not even begun to agree on the parameters of the visit.