Secretary of State Antony Blinken praised Turkey's diplomatic efforts, which led to the shipment of the first batch of Ukrainian grain from the Black Sea.

In a conversation with Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu, he underlined the importance of working together to ensure the dispatch of additional ships, and stressed the importance of holding Moscow accountable for its commitments.

According to the State Department, Blinken and Cavusoglu discussed ways to improve NATO coordination and unity regarding the threat of further escalation and Russian aggression against Ukraine.