Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has warned Russia against
invading ukraine, calling the former soviet republic a powerful country with
international friends. Turkey's supply of combat drones to ukraine has drawn
the wrath of Russia, which fears they could be used by kiev in its
years-long conflict in two regions of the moscow-backed separatist east.
Speaking to the reporters in Albania, Erdogan said he intended to discuss
the rising tensions with Russian President Vladimir Putin, "you cannot
handle these things by saying i will invade something, i will take it,"
Erdogan said.
Turkish media quoted erdogan is saying, "I don't see russia's invasion of
ukraine as a realistic option because it is not an ordinary country. Ukraine
is a powerful country," said erdogan, who backs ukraine's NATO aspirations.
In december putin criticized ukraine for deploying turkish attack drones,
urging ankara to put pressure on kiev not to use the military hardware which
has played a key role in conflicts in libya and over Azerbaijan's separatist
region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Turkey has countered by saying it cannot be held responsible for how the
drones are used by countries after they are sold.
Erdogan said he has always opposed Russia's approach to ukraine, criticizing
its 2014 annexation of crimea. He added that russia should review the state
of affairs in the world and its own state of affairs before deciding to take
this step to invade.
"We need to rip war out of political history," Erdogan said.
Tensions between Ukraine and Russia are at their highest in years with a
russian troop build up near the two nations borders spurring fears that
moscow could launch an invasion. The west accuses russia of deploying tanks
artillery and about one hundred thousand soldiers across Ukraine's northern
and eastern borders in preparation for a possible invasion.
Moscow says it is responding to what it sees as the growing presence of NATO
in its sphere of influence, where it fiercely opposes the expansion of the
atlantic alliance.
Kiev has warned that russia is trying to destabilize the country ahead of
any planned military invasion, western powers have repeatedly warned russia
against further aggressive moves against Ukraine. The kremlin denies it is
planning to attack and argues that nato support for Ukraine, including
increased weapon supplies and military training, constitutes a growing
threat on russia's western flank.
So how exactly is the situation on the border? Let's find out the
answer together
The United States and NATO have described the movements and concentrations
of troops in and around ukraine as unusual. As many as one hundred thousand
russian troops have remained amassed at the ukrainian border, despite
warnings from US President Joe Biden and european leaders of serious
consequences should Putin move ahead with an invasion and US intelligence
findings in december estimated that russia could begin a military offensive
in ukraine as soon as early 2022.
On january 19th, u.s secretary of state Anthony Blinken said Russia had
ratcheted up its threats and amassed nearly 100,000 forces on ukraine's
border, which it could double on relatively short order.
In late 2021 satellite photos revealed russian hardware including
self-propelled guns, battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles on the move
at a training ground roughly 186 miles, 300 kilometers from the border.
According to the latest reports from western news outlet, the Ukrainian
Defense Ministry's latest intelligence assessment says russia has now
deployed more than 127,000 troops near ukraine including, some 21,000 rnc
personnel, transferred morris gander operational tactical missiles to the
border and increased its intelligence activity against the country.
Many of russia's military bases are now to the west of the vast country. The
direction from which history suggests any threats are most likely to come.
Russia's Defense Ministry has said it is conducting regular winter military
drills in its southern region, parts of which border ukraine.
Ukraine's eastern donetsk and luhansk regions bordering russia an area known
as Dombas have been under the control of russian-backed separatists since
2014. It reported that russian forces are also present in the area, referred
to by ukraine as temporarily occupied territories, although russia denies
it.
The front lines of the conflict have barely moved in five years, but there
are frequent small-scale clashes and sniper attacks. Russia was angered when
ukrainian forces deployed a turkish-made combat drone for the first time in
october to strike a position held by the pro-russian separatists.
Russia also has forces numbering in the tens of thousands at its massive
naval base in crimea. The ukrainian territory annexed in 2014, the crimean
peninsula which lies to the south of the rest of Ukraine is now connected by
a road bridge to mainland Russia.
Reports from russian news agencies say that a group of russian lawmakers
have urged parliament to appeal to President Vladimir Putin to recognize two
pro-russian breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent states.
Kremlin spokesman dmitry piskov has responded cautiously to the idea. he
said it was a parliamentary initiative that would require a vote and he
could not comment until that process had finished.
Many experts believe Russian recognition would kill off the 2014 and 2015
mints peace agreements that although still unimplemented have until now been
seen by Russia, Ukraine and western governments as the best chance for a
solution.
