ANKARA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th August, 2022) The Ukrainian ambassador to Turkey, Vasyl Bodnar, stated on Wednesday that he has urged Ankara to mediate the return of Ukrainian prisoners of war.
"This issue is always on Ukraine's agenda," Bodnar was quoted as saying by the Turkish news agency Anadolu.
The diplomat called on Turkey to become an intermediary, recalling how Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan facilitated the successful return of two representatives of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People (banned in Russia), who have received prison sentences in Russia in September 2017 for organizing riots and infringing on the country's territorial integrity. The accused were pardoned by Russian President Vladimir Putin in October 2017 and handed over to Turkey.
Bodnar underscored the need for accelerating the delivery of modern, high-precision and effective NATO weapons and ammunition to Ukraine. He noted that 72% of Ukrainians supported the country's ambition to become a NATO member.
Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24 in response to calls by the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics for protection from Ukrainian troops. The Russian Defense Ministry said the goal of the operation, which targets Ukrainian military infrastructure, is to "demilitarize and denazify" Ukraine, and to completely liberate Donbas.
