Russia has warned that any transfer of American weapons and ammunition currently stored in Turkey to Ukraine will cause "serious damage" to Moscow's relations with both Ankara and Washington. The statement was made by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova following reports that Turkey had requested permission from the US for such a delivery. This was reported by the BBC.
The reaction was prompted by information from Human Rights Watch, according to which Ankara has inquired with Washington for permission to transfer American weapons to Ukraine, including cluster munitions stored for decades in Turkish warehouses.
The human rights organization has spoken out against the possible provision of old cluster munitions. According to Human Rights Watch, their use in the war in Ukraine would increase the risks to the civilian population, including due to the possibility that some submunitions may not detonate immediately and remain dangerous long after the hostilities.
Zakharova stated that Moscow has requested official clarifications from both Turkey and the United States.
According to her, if such a delivery actually takes place, it will have serious consequences for bilateral relations.
"If this information is confirmed and the transfer takes place, it will cause serious damage to our relations with both Washington and Ankara," said Zakharova, quoted by the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Moscow has directed particularly sharp criticism at Turkey, which has sought to maintain relations with both Russia and Ukraine since the beginning of the war and has repeatedly offered mediation between the two countries.
Zakharova accused Ankara of using "peacekeeping rhetoric" while simultaneously preparing to supply weapons to Kyiv.
According to her, such actions "inevitably undermine mutual trust," especially in light of repeated assurances from Turkish officials that the country is avoiding supplying "lethal" weapons to Ukraine.
However, Turkey has maintained military cooperation with Kyiv since the beginning of the Russian invasion. Ukraine used Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones in the early months of the war, and Turkish companies are also involved in joint projects with the Ukrainian defense industry.
At the same time, Ankara has not joined Western sanctions against Russia and has maintained close economic and political ties with Moscow. Turkey has also participated as a mediator in a number of diplomatic initiatives, including negotiations on the export of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea.
The current dispute is also related to the fact that these are weapons of American origin. In such deliveries, the country that initially received the weapons from the US usually needs to obtain permission from Washington before transferring them to a third party.
The issue of cluster munitions is particularly sensitive. They contain numerous smaller munitions scattered over a large area, and some of them may remain undetonated, posing a danger to civilians for years after the end of hostilities.
Currently, Moscow reports that it is awaiting clarifications from Ankara and Washington regarding the information about the possible delivery.
