Lviv, 17 March 2021 (TDI): Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, held a meeting with the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Turkey, Mevlut Cavusoglu. The meeting between the two officials was organized in the Ukrainian city, Lviv.
Welcomed my Turkish counterpart and friend @MevlutCavusoglu in Ukraine. Turkey’s solidarity remains unwavering. Grateful for political and humanitarian support, as well as Turkey’s ongoing diplomatic efforts to put an end to Russia’s devastating war against Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/kAGh9Rz9Qy
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) March 17, 2022
Talks in the Meeting
Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba welcomed the Turkish counterpart in Lviv. He expressed gratitude for the Turkish humanitarian and political support for Ukraine. Minister Kuleba also praised Turkey’s diplomatic efforts to stop the Russia-Ukraine war.
On the other hand, Turkey’s Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu talked about Turkey’s support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. He also stated that Turkish efforts to end the Ukraine-Russia war continue until the ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.
Moreover, Minister Cavusoglu met with the Crimean Tatar Coordination Center representatives. In the meeting, he expressed Turkey’s support for the well-being and safety of Turkish kinsmen.
Russia Ukraine Crisis: An Overview
Ukraine and Russia have captured the entire world’s attention since 24th February. Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine at the behest of its Security Council that convened a day before.
Prior to this, a day before, Russia also recognized the Republics of the Luhansk and Donetsk, much to the West’s chagrin. The Donetsk and Luhansk are a part of the Donbas region that is pro-Russia territory.
Recently, Western countries had been alleging Russia about troops’ deployment on the border of Ukraine. However, Russia had been denying the allegations by claiming that it has no intention to invade Ukraine.
One of the main issues of contention between Russia and the EU/US is NATO’s beefed-up defences in northeastern Europe and Ukraine’s intent to join NATO. Russian and Western counterparts held a series of negotiations to avert escalation. Though, that indelibly failed.
According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s stance regarding Ukraine is a matter of principle. In this context, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that if attempts to come to terms on mutually acceptable principles fail, Russia will adopt an appropriate response.
Contrarily, the Ukrainian authorities had been alerting the world about a possible invasion. Throughout 2021 and 2022, Russia and the West engaged in a diplomatic tussle related to Ukraine.
Likewise, the West kept accusing Russia of a military buildup on the border of Ukraine. Whilst Russia kept objecting to NATO’s expansionist agenda that is considered a threat to its strategic security.
Consequently, tensions escalated between the two countries and led to strained bilateral relations. Moreover, despite the United States and EU sending strong messages to warn Russia, the threat of economic isolation couldn’t deter Russia to compromise on what it considers its national interest.
