Kremlin says Russia has frequent contacts with Türkiye

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russian President Vladimir Putin's frequent contacts with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan are linked to Ankara's desire to continue mediation efforts on Ukraine and extensive trade and economic relations between Russia and Türkiye, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.

Meanwhile, contacts with German and French leaders have been reduced due to their unwillingness to take into account Russia's position, Peskov told a press briefing in Moscow.

"Ankara takes a position different from that of Paris and Berlin, declares its readiness to continue mediation efforts, and we know that President Putin has repeatedly praised these mediation efforts of Türkiye.

"In addition, we have very extensive trade and economic relations with Türkiye, and various major projects are being implemented. And this is all of course a reason for the heads of state to communicate with each other often," the spokesman said.

Referring to the Russian Defense Ministry statement warning about the possible use of "a dirty bomb" -- a bomb with radioactive components, not provoking a nuclear explosion -- by Ukraine, Peskov said the positions of the US, France, and Great Britain denying the concern does not mean that the threat of the possible use of the bomb disappears.

"The information was brought to the attention of the (US, French, and British defense) ministers. It's up to them whether to believe it or not.

"Their distrust of the information that was transmitted by the Russian side does not mean that the threat of using such a 'dirty bomb' ceases to exist. The threat is obvious," Peskov said.

About the EU's intention to pass frozen Russian assets to Ukraine, Peskov said: "This is nothing but an encroachment on property, in this case on state and private property."

"This destroys the foundations for the system of economic relations that exist in the world. Assets are now actually just stolen by specific countries that belong to what we call the collective West. Including our gold and foreign exchange reserves.

"We will seek funds to fight this. Although the West refuses even to allow Russian entrepreneurs to challenge these actions in court, this does not mean that we will sit idly," he said.

Russia is currently the world’s most sanctioned country, with the most restrictive measures imposed after the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war in February.