Russia plans to consult Turkey soon to raise the issue of Ukrainian-Turkish naval cooperation, the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at the end of his talks with OSCE Secretary General Helga Smith.
“You mentioned the statements of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, which concern the cooperation plans between the navy of Ukraine and Turkey.
We have made our position very clear in the efforts to bring Ukraine into NATO. I have no doubt that the serious, responsible states fully understand what we are talking about. In our regular dialogue with our Turkish colleagues, another contact is planned within a short period.
Of course, I think that we will talk about this issue as well,” said the Russian minister during a joint press conference with the head of the OSCE.
In recent months, the Russian foreign minister has repeatedly referred to Moscow’s “persistent recommendations” to “responsible countries,” specifically referring to Turkey, which Russia invited on April 12 to “analyze the situation, the perpetual aggressive statements of Kyiv regime,” but also warned (editor’s note: along with other states) “not to fuel its militaristic disposition and not to encourage its military aggression,” as reported by the Russian news agency RIA-Novosti.
On May 24, Sergey Lavrov took a fresh look at the issue, stating in an interview with the newspaper Argumenty i Fakty that “encouraging aggressive Ukrainian initiatives for Crimea is tantamount to plotting against Russia’s and Moscow’s territorial integrity.” This is why Moscow estimates that Turkey’s line “will be corrected taking into account our legitimate concerns.”
Source: ANA-MPA
