When Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his decision to recognise two breakaway regions in east Ukraine as independent, NATO member and Black Sea neighbour Turkey swiftly criticised the move, but stopped short of announcing any punitive measures.
Turkey is in a unique bind: it has good ties with both Ukraine and Russia, but also opposes sanctions in principle, just as the West is poised to slap them on Moscow as long promised.
Striking the balance Turkey employed for decades, Erdogan often highlights his friendship with Putin but has warned Russia against an invasion and offered to mediate the crisis. He has also criticised the West's handling of things as a hindrance to peace.On Tuesday, Turkey called Russia's recognition of Ukraine's separatists an unacceptable violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity.
Complicating diplomacy, Turkey opposes Russian policies in Syria and Libya even as it forges cooperation on the ground there. It also opposes Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea, and its recognition of the Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions in Georgia as independent.Russia supplied some 46% of Turkey's gas last year, and Ankara is looking to strike shorter-duration gas deals with Moscow to relieve import costs.
France Dernières Nouvelles, France Actualités
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