On Friday, August 5, Turkish President Recep Erdogan arrived for a meeting with the head of the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin.
According to the journalists of The Washington Post, who refer to a number of their sources in different countries, Russia has turned to Turkey and other potential partners with a request to help bypass Western sanctions, which are pressing the economy of the aggressor country more and more.
Thus, Moscow hopes to convince Ankara to bypass restrictions in the sphere of finance and energy.
What does the Russian Federation want from Turkey?
Journalists remind that this meeting between Putin and Erdogan is already the second in two weeks, which raises fears that the Kremlin may strengthen economic ties with a NATO member country that has not joined the introduction of sanctions against Moscow.
The Russians want to convince their Turkish colleagues to turn Turkey into a kind of hub that gives Moscow the opportunity to bypass the most painful sanctions.
Yes, the Russian Federation wants to buy from Turkish oil refineries, oil terminals and tanks.
Economists believe that this will make it possible to hide the origin of exports after the entry into force of the EU oil embargo, which will take full effect in 2023.
In addition, the Kremlin hopes to get several Turkish state-owned banks to open correspondent accounts for the largest Russian banks, which would be a flagrant violation of Western sanctions.
The Kremlin is also asking for the removal of restrictions on its business, due to which the activity of industrial companies of the aggressor country is currently prohibited inside the special economic zones.
Can Ankara agree?
The publication claims that to date there are no signs that Turkey will agree to such agreements – it is not beneficial to it, since Ankara will thus put its own banks and companies at risk of sanctions, which will block its access to Western markets.
In addition, as the representative of the Turkish delegation commented, the country still supports Ukraine, its sovereignty and independence.
However, he called non-adherence to sanctions for a full-scale war against Ukraine a “principled position”.
Western officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they were unaware of Russian plans to persuade Turkey to support the Kremlin.
However, they are aware that Moscow is trying to bypass the sanctions, because the economic damage from them is felt more and more strongly.
According to officials, representatives of the Kremlin actively travel to different countries, trying to get any help, and therefore Turkey is no exception, especially because of the “weak force of law” in this country.
WP emphasizes that such initiatives can be considered a sign of growing concern in Russia.
Today, there are already serious problems in the fields of pharmaceuticals and industry, while the banking sector of Russia has been called a “zombie system” by Western officials.
Photo: Kremlin