Putin lays out his demands in Turkish phone call

Turkey has positioned itself with great care to be the go-between with Russia and Ukraine – and this seems to be paying off.

On Thursday afternoon, President Vladimir Putin rang the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and told him what Russia’s precise demands were for a peace deal with Ukraine. The Russian demands fall into two categories. Chief among them is an acceptance by Ukraine that it should be neutral and should not apply to join Nato. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has already conceded this. Ukraine would have to undergo a disarmament process to ensure it wasn’t a threat to Russia. There would have to be protection for the Russian language in Ukraine. And there is something called de-Nazification. Russia will demand that the Ukrainian government should give up territory in eastern Ukraine. That will be deeply contentious. Russia will also demand that Ukraine should formally accept that Crimea.

Turkey is allied to Russia when Russia descends into Israel at some point in the future. But Turkey and Ukraine have a long chronology of historical, geographic, and cultural contact. Turkey became one of the first states in the world to announce officially about recognition of sovereign Ukraine in the early 90’s. Turkey’s relations with Russia are more cyclical. But overall they have improved significantly in recent years.

Russia became Turkey’s largest provider of energy, while many Turkish companies began to operate in Russia.

The Bible says that Turkey will be allied to Russia when it invades Israel. So it is interesting to see them playing the role of “go-between” at this time. Putin’s end game is to take east Ukraine – the final part of ancient Magog….

Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee. Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard [protection] unto them. (Ezekiel 38:4)

Gomer and Togarmah are both areas of modern Turkey.

 

Andy Walton

Find this week’s: Weekly World Watch

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Additional reading

1. Signs of the times – “Turkey and Russia”
2. Signs of the Times – “Global Britain”
3. Turkey 2021 update
4. Kazakhstan: strikes and riots rock the regime
5. Putin, Erdogan Pledge To Boost Russia-Turkey Ties
6. A Brief Look at NATO and Russia’s Push to Reform the Old Soviet Union