Turkey must maintain a delicate diplomatic balance so that it remains able to facilitate an eventual negotiated end to the war between Russia and Ukraine.
This was stated by Ibrahim Kalin, spokesperson of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, The Guardian reports.
Photo: Wikipedia
Kalin noted that while Ankara had criticised Moscow’s invasion and actions on the battlefield it would do no good to take a more punitive stance against Russia.
"We have opposed this war from the beginning but also maintained contact with Moscow", the spokesperson, who is also Erdogan’s chief foreign policy adviser, said.
Kalin explained that a trusted partner, negotiator, facilitator, moderator is needed to be able to speak with both the Russian and Ukrainian sides.
Recall that it is Turkey that is now ready to evacuate the wounded Ukrainians by ship from Azovstal in Mariupol, and was ready to take out the surviving defenders of the city, but Russia does not agree to this and is ready to shoot at any ships in the Azov and Black Seas.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an interview with Italian TV said that, unfortunately, the fate of the defenders now depends on the will of Russia.
Context. Earlier we reported that Ankara went on to sell weapons to Ukraine despite Russian pressure.
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