Ukraine’s president has thanked his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan for Ankara’s “military and humanitarian” support, saying a “ban on the passage of [Russian] warships to the Black Sea” was very important for his country.
Turkey, which controls the Dardanelles and Bosphorus Straits that link the Mediterranean to the Black Sea, has not publicly announced any ban on Russian warships using the channels despite Kyiv’s urgent requests that it take such a measure.
On Friday Turkey’s foreign minister said that under the 1936 convention covering the matter, Ankara could not bar warships returning to a home base in the Black Sea from passing through the straits. Russia has a major naval base in the Black Sea.
Meanwhile, fighting has reached the streets of Ukraine’s capital as Russia presses ahead with its invasion.
President Volodymyr Zelenkskyy pledged to defend the country, says he will not surrender.
Nearly 200 people have been killed so far, including civilians, three of whom were children, according to Ukraine’s health minister.
More than 100,000 Ukrainians have fled the country since the beginning of Moscow’s assault, the UN said.
Western countries have announced sweeping sanctions on Moscow, including measures targeting President Vladimir Putin himself.
