At the beginning of the Russian Federation's full-scale war against Ukraine, Turkey closed the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits. This prevented the occupiers from capturing Odesa, Mykolaiv and other Ukrainian territories.
Points of attention
- Turkey's closure of the straits stopped the Russian Federation from attempting to seize Odesa and Mykolaiv.
- Ukraine received support from Turkey, which became a transport hub and facilitated transport logistics.
- Turkey's proposal for a "peace plan" for Ukraine includes postponing NATO membership, creating a demilitarized zone in Donbas, and supplying weapons to the Ukrainian side as compensation.
How Turkey interfered with the plans of the Russian Federation
As the Ambassador of Ukraine to Turkey, Vasyl Bodnar, said, closing the straits has become one of the key factors in Ukraine's defense.
We sank one "Moscow", and two more Russian cruisers remained in the Mediterranean Sea. The closure of the straits by Turkey did not allow Russia to use its advantage at sea to capture Odesa, Mykolaiv and other territories it planned to occupy, Ambassador Bodnar noted.
In addition, Turkey has become an important transport hub for Ukraine. Previously, ships with cargo for Ukraine stopped in Turkish ports, and carriers had difficulties. Currently, visa-free transportation is in effect between the countries, which has greatly facilitated logistics.
Our companies deliver vital goods through Turkey without licenses and permits, the ambassador added.
What is known about the new "Erdogan peace plan" for Ukraine
The newspaper's journalists claim that the Turkish leader wants to offer Ukraine to postpone its plans to join NATO for the next 10 years as a concession to Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin.
In addition, Erdogan calls for the creation of a demilitarized zone in Donbas with the placement of military contingents from other countries as an additional guarantee, and also offers to guarantee the supply of weapons to Ukraine as compensation for agreeing to a temporary pause in preparations for joining NATO.
Turkish officials admit that it will be difficult for Ukraine to accept such a proposal, but they believe that this is the most realistic approach. They will try to postpone the discussion of the fate of the occupied territories in order to focus first of all on ensuring a stable cease-fire, the publication emphasizes.
