Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan underscored the function of present agreements for a “peaceable and diplomatic answer” within the Ukraine standoff throughout his go to to Kyiv, in a transfer that seems to be upholding calls for by Moscow.
As a part of dizzying diplomatic visitors aiming to ease the tensions between Kyiv and Moscow, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky hosted a second overseas dignitary for 2 days in a row. After UK Premier Boris Johnson’s go to yesterday, the nation’s beleaguered chief welcomed Erdogan immediately.
Talking in a joint presser along with his Ukrainian counterpart following their one-on-one assembly, the Turkish president struck a unique tone from a lot of his Western counterparts, stressing the function of the Minsk Accords of 2015 — a peace settlement brokered by France and Germany that Kyiv has lengthy argued favors Russian interests in jap Ukraine.
“We sincerely consider that the disaster will probably be solved peacefully and diplomatically throughout the framework of the Minsk agreements on the premise of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and worldwide legislation,” Erdogan mentioned throughout the televised presser.
Erdogan’s emphasis on the Minsk Accords seems to be heeding a call by the Kremlin. “If Turkey may encourage Kyiv to implement the Minsk deal, Moscow would welcome this growth,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov mentioned Jan. 19 in response to Ankara’s provide to mediate between the 2 events.
Arguing that the settlement tipped the stability of energy within the area in favor of Russia, Kyiv has known as for its revision a number of instances. “The success of the Minsk agreement means the country’s destruction,” Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of Ukraine’s Nationwide Safety and Protection Council, was quoted as saying by The Related Press in an unique late January interview. “Once they had been signed below the Russian gun barrel — and the German and the French watched — it was already clear for all rational people who it’s unimaginable to implement these paperwork.”
Erdogan’s remarks is perhaps aimed to win favors with Moscow to extend its possibilities to be a mediator within the standoff as a part of Ankara’s intense efforts to enhance its diplomatic standing. Turkey has been waging multi-pronged diplomatic efforts to fix its ties with regional international locations, together with Israel, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.
Reiterating Ankara’s mediation provide, Erdogan mentioned Turkey was able to host a face-to-face assembly between the 2 international locations’ leaders or “talks on the technical degree.” Erdogan mentioned Russian President Vladmir Putin was planning to journey to Turkey after his go to to China, talking in Ankara earlier than his departure.
Through the go to Erdogan and Zelensky additionally inked a number of cooperation accords, together with a free commerce settlement and a deal for the joint manufacturing of Turkish surveillance drones manufactured by Baykar Makina, owned by Erdogan’s son-in-law Selcuk Bayraktar’s household.
