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Ukraine-Turkey hold dialogue amid Donbass tension with Russia

Ukraine-Turkey hold dialogue amid Donbass tension with Russia

Turkey Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Saturday met Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul amid growing tension between Ukraine and Russia. The long-running conflict in Ukraine's eastern Donbass region is one of the reasons why Ukraine-Russia relations are strained currently.

Bilateral talks between Zelenskiy and Erdogan were tobe followed by a cooperation meeting and a joint news conference.

NATO member Turkey has forged close cooperation with Russia over conflicts in Syria, Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as in the defence and energy areas. But it has criticised Crimea's annexation and supported Ukraine's territorial integrity. It has also sold drones to Kyiv in 2019.

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Also Read | Ukraine: Can be provoked due to Russian 'aggression'

Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a call with Erdogan on Friday (April 9), accused Ukraine of "dangerous provocative actions" in Donbass.

Ukraine has been raising alarm over buildup of Russian forces near Ukraine-Russia border.

Ukraine's defense minister said on Saturday that his country could be provoked due to Russian 'aggression'.

The minister, Andrii Taran, said Russian accusations about the rights of Russian speakers being violated could be the reason for the resumption of armed aggression against Ukraine.

"At the same time, it should be noted that the intensification of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine is possible only if an appropriate political decision is made at the highest level in the Kremlin," he said in a statement.

(With Reuters inputs)