Ukraine’s ambassador to Turkey said Tuesday that Kyiv is grateful for Ankara’s support and sees Turkey as an important player in shaping the future security architecture of the Black Sea, speaking at a ceremony in Ankara marking four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Ambassador Naryman Dzhelialov spoke at an event hosted by the Ukrainian Embassy in Ankara on February 24 that drew diplomats, military representatives, civil society members and journalists, according to QHA, a Crimean Tatar news agency.
Dzhelialov said the war should be seen not only as an attack on Ukraine but also as a challenge to the international order based on the United Nations Charter and the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. He also warned against any settlement that would reward aggression with territorial concessions.
He said support for Ukraine was an investment in stability, security and the future of the rules-based international order and praised Turkey for backing Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, contributing to humanitarian efforts and prisoner exchanges and playing a mediation role. QHA also reported that he referred to talks held in İstanbul in 2025.
French Ambassador Isabelle Dumont said the war’s consequences extend beyond Ukraine, arguing that Europe’s security and stability are also at stake in the fighting. She referred to the Donbas region and the Black Sea theatre in describing the broader risk to Europe.
Jurgis Vilcinskas, the acting chargé d’affaires of the European Union Delegation to Turkey, said the way the war ends will shape the future of Ukraine, Turkey, Europe and the wider world. He said 2026 must be the year Russia’s invasion ends and that aggression should not be rewarded.
The event in Ankara took place as Ukraine and its allies marked the fourth anniversary of Russia’s February 24, 2022, invasion. Leaders of the G7 countries on Tuesday reaffirmed support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity while backing diplomatic efforts to end the war.
Speakers at the Ankara ceremony also said the conflict began before 2022, with Russia’s 2014 seizure of Crimea, a point often emphasized by Ukrainian officials.