The Treaty of the Pruth (1711)

After his defeat at Poltava in 1709, King Charles XII of Sweden took refuge in the Ottoman Empire. Dissatisfied with Russia's demands, the Ottomans declared war on Russia in November 1710. In spring 1711 Tsar Peter I marched into Moldavia, expecting the Christians of the Balkans to join him.

The army of the grand vizier Baltacı Mehmed Pasha, together with the cavalry of the Crimean khan Devlet II Giray, surrounded the Russian army on the river Pruth near Stănilești. Short of supplies, Peter asked for peace. Under the treaty signed on 23 July 1711 Russia returned Azov to the Ottomans, promised to demolish Taganrog and other forts, to stay out of Polish affairs and to let Charles XII return freely to Sweden. The talks on the Russian side were led by the vice-chancellor Pyotr Shafirov.

The Treaty of the Pruth is regarded as a political victory for the Ottomans. Some contemporaries blamed Baltacı Mehmed Pasha for missing the chance to capture the tsar, and he was dismissed soon afterwards. The terms were confirmed by the Treaty of Adrianople in 1713.