Free Republic

On the 11th anniversary of Russia's annexation of Crimea via an "illegitimate referendum," Türkiye said it does not recognize the "de facto situation in Crimea," expressing its support to Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty. "We reiterate that Türkiye does not recognize the de facto situation in Crimea, which constitutes a violation of international law, and that we support the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday. "We will continue to closely monitor developments in Crimea, particularly the situation of the Crimean Tatar Turks, the indigenous people of the peninsula, and we will...

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko reportedly said that the Kremlin wants an "ironclad" guarantee that Ukraine will be prohibited from joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), as the Trump administration works to broker a deal to end the fighting. "We will demand that ironclad security guarantees become part of this agreement," Grushko was quoted by the Russian newspaper Izvestia as saying, according to Reuters. "Part of these guarantees should be the neutral status of Ukraine, the refusal of NATO countries to accept it into the alliance."

The conversation between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin scheduled for Tuesday is indeed being prepared, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a briefing in response to a TASS question, APA reports. "Yes, this is indeed the case," he emphasized. "Such a conversation is being prepared for Tuesday," the spokesman added.