ANKARA, May 17. /TASS/. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin may soon discuss over phone the extension of the grain deal, which is set to expire on May 18, a source in Ankara told TASS on Wednesday.

"The possibility of their phone talks is not ruled out, because, as you know, the grain deal expires tomorrow. It is vital to reach agreements on its extension," he said.

On July 22, 2022, a package of documents on the supply of food and fertilizers to the international market was signed in Istanbul. The agreements were originally concluded for a period of 120 days. They were extended for the same period last November. On March 18, 2023, Russia announced the extension of the deal for 60 days, warning that this period of time would be enough to see if the memorandum signed with the UN was being implemented.

Moscow has repeatedly stated that any further decision to extend the deal would depend on the fulfillment of the Russian part of the agreement. The lack of progress on this issue endangers the future of this initiative as such.