Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday denounced Ukraine’s Crimean Platform summit, attended by all 30 NATO member states, including Turkey, as “anti-Russian,” the Associated Press reported.
The summit convened by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. saw more than 45 foreign delegations, including the one led by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, gather on Monday in Kyiv, state-run Anadolu news agency said.
Peskov condemned the event as being against Russia, saying Moscow denounced the claims over Crimea during the summit, AP said.
Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 after a referendum that was denounced as illegal by the United Nations, the EU and the United States.
Çavuşoğlu speaking at the event on Monday urged the necessity for diplomacy in finding a peaceful solution to Crimea issue, Anadolu said, calling Moscow’s annexation “illegal’’ and a “violation of international law.’’
“More than seven years have passed since the illegal and illegitimate annexation of Crimea, our support to the territorial integrity of Ukraine is so strong,” Anadolu cited the Turkish Foreign Minister as saying.
Çavuşoğlu also urged the summit to raise global awareness about Crimea and “propose inter-parliamentary contacts, effective public messaging and expert-level meetings, especially on international law.’’
Russia in May warned Turkey against what Moscow called attempts to fuel “militaristic sentiment” in Ukraine after Ankara moved to boost cooperation with Turkey amid a build-up of Russian forces along its border with Ukraine.
Turkey and Ukraine in recent years have strengthened their military bonds, with Turkey delivering its first armed drone to the Ukrainian Navy in July, Defence News reported, in a move that has drawn the ire of Moscow.
Ahval