Turkey’s balancing act between Russia and Ukraine may have raised its diplomatic profile in the war, but not without dropping some hot potatoes in its lap, as evidenced by Kyiv’s growing pressure on Ankara to help prevent shipments of Ukrainian grain from Russian-occupied regions. 

In a move that might set the stage for a fresh crisis on the Turkey-Russia-Ukraine triangle, Turkish authorities halted a Russian-flagged ship off the Black Sea port of Karasu last week, heeding a request from Kyiv, which claims the vessel, Zhibek Zholy, is carrying grain from Russian-occupied territories. Ukraine's ambassador to Ankara, Vasyl Bodnar, made the situation even more delicate for Turkey, lauding “full cooperation” on the part of Turkish authorities, which, he said, had detained the ship.

Turkish officials, meanwhile, have only said they are investigating the cargo and the ports of departure and destination of the ship. “The allegations are being investigated thoroughly. It is not written on the grain who it belongs to,” a senior official told Reuters, adding that Turkey was in contact with Russia, the United Nations and third parties on the issue.

The incident comes at a time when Turkey is hoping to assume a key role in a UN-proposed sea corridor to restart Ukrainian grain exports to help ease the global food fears sparked by the war.