Iran Press/ Asia: On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation in response to a request for help by the heads of the Donbas republics. He stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories but aimed to demilitarize and denazify the country.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict has been met with international outrage, with the European Union, US, and the UK implementing tough financial sanctions on Moscow.
Speaking to Turkish-language outlet Haber Global, the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu stated that several Western countries “want the war to continue,” adding that it is the US and a handful of NATO members. Apart from this, he did not mention any specific states.
“There were also those who wanted to sabotage the grain deal,” he noted, adding that the US had nothing to do with these efforts and is, in fact, being helpful.
“The US contribution was as follows: the removal of export barriers for Russian fertilizers, unblocking ports, [lifting restrictions on] banking transactions, etc. But some European countries wanted to sabotage it,” he said, signaling that Turkey continues to work to ensure the grain deal is upheld.
The agreement to unblock grain exports via the Black Sea was signed by Moscow and Russia at UN-brokered talks in Istanbul in late July and aims to maintain safe transit routes. The agreement is also supposed to allow Russia to deliver fertilizers and food products to global markets. Many experts and officials deem the agreement to be instrumental in alleviating global food security issues.
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Wheat deliveries from Ukraine, a major producer, were disrupted after Russia launched its military operation in the neighboring state in late February. The sides blamed each other for causing the crisis.
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the US of attempting to prolong the Ukraine conflict by “pumping the Kiev regime with weapons, including heavy weapons.”
Putin stated that the Ukrainians have been assigned the “cannon fodder” role in Washington’s “anti-Russia project.” The president also said that Moscow launched its offensive in Ukraine to “ensure the security of Russia and its citizens, and defend the people of Donbass from genocide.”
US President Joe Biden said in June that NATO would support Ukraine “as long as it takes” to make sure Kyiv is not defeated.
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