According to a statement of Zelensky on Twitter, the Turkish government released a restriction on the passage of Russian warships via the Bosporus and the Dardanelles (connected the Mediterranean to the Black Sea).
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said on Saturday Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan had agreed to ban Russian warships from accessing the Black Sea via 2 Turkish straits, the Bosporus and the Dardanelles.
Zelensky thanked Erdogan for the unwavering support of our independence, territorial integrity. The ban on the passage of Russian warships to the Black Sea was of extreme importance for Ukrainians.
I thank my friend Mr. President of 🇹🇷 @RTErdogan and the people of 🇹🇷 for their strong support. The ban on the passage of 🇷🇺 warships to the Black Sea and significant military and humanitarian support for 🇺🇦 are extremely important today. The people of 🇺🇦 will never forget that!
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 26, 2022
Russia’s access to the ocean is controlled by its Western allies. Gibraltar belongs to the UK; Bosporus and Dardanelles belongs to Turkey. Both of them are NATO members. Not mentioned about Denmark (for ports Saint Petersburg) and Japan & South Korea – the US allies (for Vladivostok)
Turkey is a member of NATO, this country owns 2 small and narrow straits in the city of Istanbul – this is the only way into the Black Sea from the Mediterranean and connects the Black Sea with the world. This is an extremely important shipping route for Russia because the port of Sevastopol on the Crimean peninsula is the only port of Russia that does not freeze in winter.
On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised address that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbas republics he had made a decision to carry out a special military operation in order to protect people “who have been suffering from abuse and genocide by the Kyiv regime for eight years.” Its objectives are demilitarization and denazification of the country.
