The Pruth River Campaign erupted as a direct result of the defeat of King Charles XII at the Battle of Poltava in the summer of 1709 and his retreat into the Ottoman Empire. Despite repetitive calls from Russia to extradite King Charles, the Ottoman Court refused. These repetitive calls and aggressive diplomacy on behalf of King Charles XII lead the Ottomans to declare war on Russia on 20 November 1710. Concurrently, Russia and Moldavia (now Moldova) signed an agreement which guaranteed Russian military access through Moldavia and promised troops and logistics.