Ukraine’s Ambassador to Ankara Bodnar met with members of the pressBalkan Diary Newspaper

ANKARA (AA) – Bodnar made evaluations to members of the press at the Ankara Embassy of Ukraine on issues such as the current situation in the Russia-Ukraine War and Turkey-Ukraine relations.

Noting that the Russia-Ukraine War has entered the “tactical conflicts” phase, Bodnar said that this caused the world’s interest in the war to decrease.

Bodnar said that Russia’s “attacks on civilian infrastructure continue” and that this is why there is destruction in many cities of Ukraine.

Efforts for peace

Ambassador Bodnar pointed out that Ukraine’s “peace initiatives” are continuing and that a summit for peace is planned.

Evaluating that his country does not see a situation in which it will negotiate “directly” with Russia, Bodnar said, “By developing an international attitude and position, Ukraine’s demands for a fair peace will not be ignored and justice will correspond, not Russia’s wishes, but will truly contribute to world peace.” “We want to create an infrastructure where the current order will be established.” he said.

Bodnar mentioned that a peace summit will be held in Switzerland in June and noted that Turkey has previously held meetings on peace and that they hope President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will attend the summit.

Türkiye-Ukraine relations

Emphasizing that Turkey’s suggestions and initiatives regarding demining the Black Sea and ensuring navigation safety “match” Ukraine’s stance, Bodnar underlined that they are open to these suggestions.

Referring to the fact that Turkey-Ukraine relations continue “with great efficiency” and the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to Turkey on March 8, Bodnar said, “The basis of this good course of our bilateral relations is the sincere and trust-based friendship between the Presidents of Ukraine and Turkey.” he said.

Emphasizing that the cooperation between Turkey and Ukraine has expanded in terms of “both content and scope”, Bodnar pointed out that the defense industry is one of these areas.

Stating that a large business forum is expected to be held within the scope of the Ukrainian Prime Minister’s visit to Turkey, which is expected to be made in the second half of the year, Bodnar said that items such as trade and the reconstruction of his country will also be on the agenda in this forum.

Reminding that a summit on the reconstruction of Ukraine will be held in Berlin, the capital of Germany, in June, Bodnar stated that Turkish companies will also attend the summit.

Stating that Chief Public Ombudsman Şeref Malkoç visited Ukraine, Bodnar gave information about the details of Malkoç’s visit to Ukraine.

Ambassador Bodnar also answered the questions of the press members about current political issues at the meeting.

Reporter: Gökhan Çeliker

AA