Russian President, Vladimir Putin, arrived in Iran on Tuesday, July 19, 2022, on his second foreign trip since he launched the invasion on Ukraine in February 2022.

Mr. Putin will meet Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. According to a Turkish official, grain exports, Syria and Ukraine are on the agenda to be discussed in Tehran.

The Russian leader limited his international visits to former Soviet states since war broke out in Ukraine. In June 2022, Mr. Putin made his first international trip since February 2022, when he visited Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, both former members of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), now led by authoritarian rulers and Russian allies.

Impact of the visit

Tuesday’s (July 19, 2022) visit offers Mr. Putin the opportunity to deepen ties with Iran, one of Moscow’s few remaining international allies and a fellow target of Western economic sanctions.

The visit followed allegations by US officials last week that Tehran (capital of Iran) is planning to supply Russia with hundreds of drones for its war in Ukraine. Similarly, on Tuesday, July 19, 2022, the Russian energy giant, Gazprom, also signed a new development deal worth $40m (£33m) with Iran’s state oil company.

“The contract with Khamenei is very important,” Yuri Ushakov, Mr. Putin’s top foreign policy adviser, told the media in an earlier briefing on Monday, July 18, 2022. Ushakov added that “A trusting dialogue has developed between them on the most important issues on the bilateral and international agenda.”

Turkey and Russia backed opposing sides in the Syrian civil war and have been searching for ways to reduce the violence in recent months. But Mr. Putin’s meeting came amid Turkish threats to launch a fresh offensive in Northern Syria against US-backed Kurdish militants, a move that both Iran and Russia oppose.

The operation is part of Mr. Erdogan’s plans to create a 30km (20 miles) safe zone along Turkey’s border with Syria. Last week, the UN Security Council agreed to reauthorise cross-border deliveries of aid to rebel-held Syria for six months after Russia initially blocked a proposal for a one-year extension. However, Ankara (Turkey’s capital) refused to impose sanctions on Moscow since Mr. Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, February 24, 2022, with Mr. Erdogan’s government seeking to play the role of a mediator.

Chances in the Meeting

The meeting could offer an opportunity for the Turkish leader to conclude a tentative agreement struck between Russian and Ukrainian leaders to ensure the export of 22 million tonnes of desperately needed grains. Last week, Turkey’s Defence Minister intimated that both sides agreed on ways to ensure the safety of shipping routes for grain ships. Russia’s Black Sea fleet is said to be stopping any shipments from getting in or out.

Other developments allegedly documented by the BBC suggested that Moscow’s forces stole and exported Ukrainian grain. But Mr. Ushakov said, “The issue of Ukrainian grain shipment will be discussed with Erdogan. We are ready to continue work on this track”.

But the talks came at a time that local officials and farmers near the front line of the conflict accused Russia of deliberately shelling grain fields. Oleh Pylypenko, a local politician in Southern Ukraine and a former Russian prisoner, told the media that farmers in his constituency near the Southern city of Mykolaiv are under constant artillery and missile fire.