Turkey's FM Cavusoglu claims several NATO nations want Russia-Ukraine War to continue

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu alleged that the United States along with some other North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) affiliated countries want the ongoing war in Ukraine to continue as long as possible. He also accused some western countries of trying to halt the grain corridor agreement which was signed by Russia and Ukraine on July 22. "There are some NATO countries in the West that want the war to continue in Ukraine. I mean not only the United States, but also other NATO member countries. There were those who wanted to sabotage the grain agreement," Cavusoglu told Haber Global news broadcaster, as per the TASS. 

However, the Turkish Foreign Minister further stated that the US was not among those who tried to restrict the grain 
agreement. Cavusoglu said that the US helped in the success of the grain deal by removing restrictions on the export of Russian fertilizers, unblocking ports, and removing restrictions on banking operations. "But there were also countries in Europe who wanted to sabotage this. However, We did not lose hope and continued our efforts," he added. 

Turkey offers to organise meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy

It should be mentioned here that Turkey has continued to serve as the primary mediator between Russia and Ukraine since the war started on February 24. Earlier on August 18, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy to organise his meeting with the Russian President in Istanbul. During his recent visit to Lviv, the Turkish President also signed a memorandum with Ukraine for the reconstruction efforts of Kyiv's infrastructure destroyed during the Russian invasion.

Turkey warns of action against visa delays for its citizens

Foreign Minister Cavusoglu also warned that Ankara will take necessary action if Turkish citizens continue to have trouble getting visas for Europe and the US. He claimed that Turkish citizens are being made to wait for months to get an appointment date from the US and some European nations.  "It is planned and deliberate. Excuses like COVID-19 and others are not realistic. Necessary warnings will be made to the ambassadors of these countries at the beginning of September. If there is no improvement, then we will take countermeasures," Cavusoglu warned, as per Anadolu Agency.

Image: AP