Turkish, Russian FMs speak over phone after Zelensky visit

ANKARA

Alamy Photo

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has held a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, discussing Türkiye's relations with Ukraine and the grain deal.

Ankara said the meeting also touched upon the current developments in the grain agreement, a Turkish and U.N.-brokered grain deal that has paved the way for the shipment of more than 30 million tons of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea,

The phone call came after Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Istanbul.

Speaking at a joint press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart on July 7, Erdoğan expressed his strong support for Ukraine's NATO membership aspirations, remarking "Ukraine undoubtedly deserves NATO membership." Erdoğan emphasized Türkiye’s desire to restore peace as soon as possible, offering full support to Ukraine.

On his return to Ukraine, Zelensky also brought back five Ukrainian commanders who were supposed to have remained in Türkiye until the end of the conflict under a prisoner exchange deal.

In the statement made by the Russian side about the foreign ministers' meeting, it was reported that Lavrov expressed his dissatisfaction with the return of Azov battalion soldiers to Ukraine and Türkiye’s continued supply of weapons to Ukraine.

The Kremlin had previously denounced the release of the men, members of the crack Azov regiment celebrated in Ukraine for their stiff resistance at the Azovstal factory during the months-long siege of the port city of Mariupol.

"The return of Azov commanders from Türkiye to Ukraine is nothing but a direct violation of the terms of existing agreements," spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.