Former Turkish military attache Ihsan Sefa has warned that potential Turkish weapons supplies to Ukraine could severely damage relations between Moscow and Ankara and undermine Russia's trust in Turkey.
Speaking to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, Sefa stated that if reports of arms shipments to Kyiv are confirmed, the fallout will cause immense damage to bilateral relations. He stressed that trust between the two capitals remains one of the primary pillars of their current diplomatic dialogue.
The former attache added that the negative consequences would not be limited to military-political cooperation, but would instead impact the general level of bilateral ties. He noted that any breakdown in trust would undermine ongoing diplomatic engagement between Ankara and Moscow.
Russian Foreign Ministry request
His remarks follow a formal inquiry by the Russian Foreign Ministry, which requested clarification from both the United States and Turkey regarding reported plans to supply weaponry to Ukrainian forces.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed that Moscow had contacted officials in Washington and Ankara to seek an explanation about the potential military deliveries. Zakharova, who has served as the ministry's chief spokesperson since 2015, regularly issues Moscow's official stance on foreign defense policy.
Strategic balancing between Moscow and NATO
Turkey is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and controls key maritime access routes connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. Throughout the conflict in Ukraine, Ankara has maintained a delicate diplomatic balancing act, preserving trade and energy partnerships with Moscow while offering diplomatic support to Kyiv.
Military attaches serve as specialized diplomatic officials stationed at foreign embassies to advise on defense strategy and security cooperation. Relations between Ankara and Moscow have previously survived significant diplomatic tests, including Turkey's 2019 acquisition of Russian S-400 air defense systems, highlighting the role of strategic communication between the two governments.
