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Military operation in Ukraine

US uninvolved in Turkey releasing Azov leaders to Ukraine — White House

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan added that it was hard for him to say how much Erdogan’s decisions were related to the attempted mutiny

WASHINGTON, July 10. /TASS/. Washington has nothing to do with Ankara handing over Azov nationalist battalion (outlawed in Russia) commanders to the Kiev regime, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said onboard Air Force One, as US President Joe Biden embarked on his European tour.

Replying to a question as to why Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had made this decision and whether he was "sending some kind of message to Putin," the US official said: "Honestly, I’m not going to characterize his motives for doing it. I think it would be worth posing that question directly to President Erdogan." "We weren’t a part of this and aren’t in a position, really, to comment on what Erdogan was trying to accomplish by it," he added.

When asked to comment on how the attempted mutiny in Russia affected its ties with other countries, and, in particular, Turkey’s recent decisions, Sullivan said: "How much that will impact particular decisions by particular leaders, what the implications of that are — it’s too soon to tell, particularly since this story is still unfolding." In his opinion, even earlier, "Erdogan was prepared to do quite substantial and robust things in support of Ukraine, including the provision of some sophisticated weaponry." He added that it was hard for him to say how much Erdogan’s decisions were related to the attempted mutiny and "how much this is just related to his approach to the Ukraine conflict writ large." "But obviously, it’s something we will continue to watch carefully," the US official concluded.

On Saturday, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said that he was returning to his country along with five Azov commanders who had been in Turkey. On Friday, he met with Erdogan.

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Ukraine United States Military operation in Ukraine

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