Russia’s President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone yesterday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, one day before today’s visit to Turkey of Ukrainian President President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to a statement issued by the Kremlin press service, they discussed bilateral relations, the situation in Ukraine, Libya and Syria. Putin also expressed his concern that the Montreux Convention that regulates shipping through the Bosporus and Dardanelles Straits, be maintained, in reaction to Erdogan’s intention to build a canal to bypass the Bosporus, and to possibly use it to close off the Bosporus passage. http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/65338
“In regards to Turkey’s plans for construction of the Istanbul Canal, Russia emphasized the importance of preservation of the 1936 Montreux Convention in order to ensure the regional stability and safety of the regional Black Sea straits regime,” the statement said, reported TASS.
Putin also stated his concern about provocative actions on the part of Kiev: “At President Erdogan’s request, Vladimir Putin described Russia’s approaches to resolving the domestic crisis in Ukraine. President Putin emphasised that the 2015 Minsk Package of Measures has no alternative as a foundation for a settlement. He expressed concern that Ukraine is dodging the implementation of the Minsk agreements and has recently resumed dangerous provocations on the contact line,” stated the Kremlin report.
