On Friday, 22 May, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Olexandr Mischenko held a meeting with Turkish journalists. A delegation of representatives of leading Turkish media outlets is currently visiting Ukraine to familiarize themselves with the current situation in the country and the consequences of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The meeting was also attended by Director of the Department of Public Diplomacy and Strategic Communications Viktoriia Lialina-Boiko, as well as representatives of the Second European Department.

The Turkish delegation included representatives of leading Turkish media outlets, in particular Anadolu Agency, Anka Agency, Habertürk TV, TRT Haber TV, A Haber TV, Demirören News Agency, and CNN Türk TV.

The Deputy Foreign Minister provided the media representatives with a detailed briefing on the course of Russia’s war against Ukraine. He noted that Putin seeks to force Ukraine to accept his terms through terrorism. According to Olexandr Mischenko, the aggressor may continue and even intensify its terrorist attacks against civilian infrastructure, resulting in further casualties among the civilian population. However, the Russian dictator will never succeed in achieving his goals in this bloody war.

Olexandr Mischenko stressed that for more than four years Ukraine has been successfully resisting Russian aggression thanks to three key factors: the heroism and professionalism of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the resilience of the Ukrainian people, and the substantial and unwavering support of the international community.

The Deputy Minister emphasized the exceptional importance of Türkiye’s role as a military ally, strategic partner, and friendly country to Ukraine. “From the very first moment of Russia’s occupation in 2014, the President of Türkiye clearly stated that Türkiye would not recognize the Russian occupation of Crimea and Donbas,” he noted.

Olexandr Mischenko expressed profound gratitude to Türkiye for its efforts in facilitating the return of Ukrainian prisoners of war and underscored that Ukraine remains ready for negotiations with the Russian side in Türkiye.

“President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly stressed that we are ready for any round of negotiations, but these negotiations must be based on respect for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty,” the Deputy Minister noted, adding that a sustainable peace depends on reliable security guarantees for Ukraine from its international partners.

Olexandr Mischenko also highlighted that Ukraine maintains constructive cooperation with Türkiye not only in the political and economic spheres, but also with the Turkish defense industry, which is mutually beneficial for both countries.

During the meeting, the participants also touched upon important aspects of the national liberation struggles of the Turkish and Ukrainian peoples in the early twentieth century. Olexandr Mischenko noted that already during the period of the Ukrainian People’s Republic in the 1920s, the diplomatic mission of the Ukrainian People’s Republic operated in Istanbul, laying the foundation for bilateral diplomatic relations between Ukraine and Türkiye.