Erdogan arrives in Kyiv for High-Level Strategic Council meeting

President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in
Kyiv on Feb. 3 to head the Turkish delegation at the High-Level Strategic
Council meeting. The bilateral meeting will focus on trade, with the signing of
a Free Trade Agreement between Ukraine and Turkey as well as the security
situation in Ukraine. “Turkey is ready to contribute to the maintenance of
peace and security in its region,” he said, according to Interfax-Ukraine.

Erdogan’s arrival caps days of unprecedented
diplomatic support for Ukraine, with the visit of U.K. Prime Minister Boris
Johnson and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on Feb. 1. Among others, Prime Minister
of the Netherlands Mark Rutte also came to Kyiv on Feb. 2 and discussed the
security situation as well as progress on the MH-17 trial.

James Hydzik: The invasion of western officials in Kyiv is an unlikely result of the
pressure put on Ukraine by Russia. This solidarity, and the lethal weapons and
ammunition that came with it in recent days, was likely a surprise to the
Kremlin’s planners. The Turkish, Polish, and British visits also included
economic measures, which will only integrate Ukraine further in those
directions.