Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register ISTANBUL, April 16 (Reuters) – Ukraine is cooperating with NATO member Turkey as much as possible to support more support for the Russian invasion and understands – although unhappy with the reality of Ankara’s parallel ties with Moscow – said a Ukrainian diplomat. Ankara criticized the invasion and sold drones to Kyiv despite Russian objections. But he has also opposed Western sanctions against Moscow and maintained a cautious rhetoric, avoiding blaming any country for the conflict, even amid reports of war crimes in parts of Ukraine. “We would be happy if Turkey joined the sanctions,” he said, and cut off flights from Russia. “But we understand this reality,” the diplomat told foreign journalists on Friday on condition of anonymity. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register “… Instead of criticizing Turkey, we are working with the Turkish side as much as possible, and we are not demanding anything that is unlikely,” he added, noting that it was still the only country that managed to unite Russia and Ukraine. officials for peace talks. Turkey, which relies heavily on energy imports and tourists from Russia, has become a safe haven for Russians fleeing sanctions, and many have invested in Turkish property. read more The diplomat cited evidence showing that more than 100,000 Russians had arrived in Turkey and sought residence documents since the start of the war. During the same period, however, about 85,000 Ukrainians also arrived, of whom about 47,000 moved to other countries or returned home, the man said. Turkey has also banned some Russian warships from crossing its straits in the Black Sea, “saving” the Ukrainian coastal city of Odessa, which has resisted Russian attacks, the diplomat said. read more “Some Russian ships are still passing through and could carry supplies from Syrian waters,” he said, adding: “We ask the Turkish side to monitor what they bring from Syria to Russia.” Turkey opposes Russia’s policies in Syria and Libya and the annexation of Crimea in 2014, but has bought the Russian S-400 missile defense system, for which Ankara was hit by US sanctions in December 2020. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Report by Jonathan Spicer. Edited by: Tuvan Gumrukcun and John Stonestreet Our role models: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
