Erdogan's visit to Ukraine on Monday came at a time of heightened tensions between Turkey and Russia.
In turn, Erdogan reportedly told Russia "To not stand in our way" as Turkey retaliated against Syrian government forces with airstrikes and artillery.
Amid the backdrop of Ankara's latest row with Moscow, some saw Erdogan's offer of military aid to Ukraine on Monday as a direct rebuke against Russia's support of Assad. Yet, according to Luke Coffey, director of The Heritage Foundation's Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy, Turkey has had a "Complicated" relationship with Russia for a long time-well before the current war in Syria.
For one, a new gas pipeline connecting Russia to Turkey under the Black Sea just recently went online, allowing Gazprom, Russia's national gas conglomerate, to bypass Ukrainian transit pipelines, which have moved Russian gas to Europe since the Soviet era.
In January, the two countries struck a $600 million deal for Ukraine to supply Turkey with cruise missile engines.
Ukraine now fields 250,000 active-duty soldiers-second only to Russia in terms manpower among European militaries.
No NATO country rivals Ukraine in terms of combat experience against the modern Russian military.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2020/02/07/rebuking-russia-turkey-pledges-to-fund-ukraines-military/
In turn, Erdogan reportedly told Russia "To not stand in our way" as Turkey retaliated against Syrian government forces with airstrikes and artillery.
Amid the backdrop of Ankara's latest row with Moscow, some saw Erdogan's offer of military aid to Ukraine on Monday as a direct rebuke against Russia's support of Assad. Yet, according to Luke Coffey, director of The Heritage Foundation's Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy, Turkey has had a "Complicated" relationship with Russia for a long time-well before the current war in Syria.
For one, a new gas pipeline connecting Russia to Turkey under the Black Sea just recently went online, allowing Gazprom, Russia's national gas conglomerate, to bypass Ukrainian transit pipelines, which have moved Russian gas to Europe since the Soviet era.
In January, the two countries struck a $600 million deal for Ukraine to supply Turkey with cruise missile engines.
Ukraine now fields 250,000 active-duty soldiers-second only to Russia in terms manpower among European militaries.
No NATO country rivals Ukraine in terms of combat experience against the modern Russian military.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2020/02/07/rebuking-russia-turkey-pledges-to-fund-ukraines-military/
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