The last week showed that Turkey has crossed a red line in relation to Russia. However, the Kremlin seems unable to respond to this situation since fewer and fewer countries are remaining allies with the Russian Federation. This was made clear during a briefing with Kremlin press secretary Peskov. The Russian government’s actions in the past few days can be accurately described as “Get no stamina”.
Betrayal step by step
Erdogan has taken an interesting position because he officially makes Turkey a peacemaking platform, systematically contacts the Russian government, and acts as a mediator between the two warring states. However, the actions eloquently express the true position, and in particular:
– The construction of the factory for the production of Bayraktar drones has begun in Ukrainian territories.
– Ukraine’s membership in NATO is actively supported.
– The commanders of the “Azov” battalion were returned to the Motherland by Ankara despite the agreement during their deportation to Turkey. They promised that there would be no such transfer until the end of the war.
However, not all of these steps can be considered as unconditional support.
When support is only verbal?
The issue of Ukraine’s membership in NATO is a subject of controversy. It is now evident that an invitation in its pure form will not be extended to Kyiv. The Kremlin is fully aware of this. As a result, supporting Ukrainian accession has become a farce. Countries express their support, knowing that, in reality, accession is prohibited. This approach does not impact relations with Moscow, and many countries have adopted this tactic, expressing their loud, but ineffective “YES!”.
Celebrate loudly
But with the transfer of the commanders of “Azov”, it really turned out unexpectedly. This is a very broad gesture in connection with 500 days since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation into Ukraine. It was expected that it would cause open outrage in the Kremlin. However, Moscow emphasized the preservation of “partnership relations” with Turkey.
Desperate partnership
The reason is simple – finances. Erdogan is the key figure in ensuring a successful gas hub partnership with Russia. The Russian Federation is currently struggling with a lack of allies, which gives Turkey the freedom to act without much scrutiny. This means that any actions taken by Turkey will likely be viewed as acceptable and “partnership”.
