Kyiv declared a strategic goal to prevent a union between Russia and Turkey
Ukraine must make every effort to prevent further improvement in relations between Russia and Turkey. Kyiv needs Ankara as a counterbalance to Moscow’s ambitions in the Black Sea region.
This is stated in a report prepared by the National Institute for Strategic Studies of Ukraine, which prepares analysis for the presidential office, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
At the same time, the authors note that despite the rather complicated relations between Russia and Turkey, Ukraine should not count on the latter entering into direct confrontation with the Russian Federation.
“Despite Russia’s attempts to influence the situation, there remains a wide field for the development of the Ukrainian-Turkish strategic partnership. The geographical location and importance of Turkey for the region makes the intensification of relations with it a key element of Ukraine’s Black Sea policy.
The main task for Ukrainian diplomacy in this direction is to prevent a rapprochement between Ankara and Moscow in the region, maintaining Turkey’s position favorable to Kyiv on the occupation of Crimea, protecting the rights of the Crimean Tatar population of the peninsula, etc.
However, there are natural boundaries for the development of the Ukrainian-Turkish partnership, which are determined by the national interests of the Turkish Republic and its active multi-vector policy.
Russian-Turkish cooperation in strategically important areas of naval and military-technical cooperation creates objective limitations for deepening relations between Ukraine and Turkey.
Ankara is capable of contributing to the creation of a favorable, secure climate in the region and strengthening Ukraine's defense capability, but one should not count on its consistent policy as a regional ally in openly opposing Russia's aggressive policies ," the report states.
Kiev has declared preventing a union between Russia and Turkey a strategic objective.