Kyiv government

Ivan Savvidis is on a list of 2,500 individuals, mostly businesspeople and bankers, that the Ukrainian government considers as "Putin's people", the reason for the latest imposition of strict economic sanctions on them. Kyiv, in fact, calls on the European Union to impose the same sanctions.

Turkey's foreign minister responded on Oct. 30 to accusations against the country about Ukraine's use of drones in the conflict-ridden eastern Donbas region.

Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said drones used by Ukraine may have been produced in Turkey but are used by Ukraine, thus Turkey cannot be blamed.

However, a closer look shows that Putin and Erdogan both see the Ecumenical Patriarchate as an extension of Western influence that threatens their respective political ambitions.

Ukraine as catalyst of Moscow's fury

Orthodox church in Moscow, Russia, 2020. Photo: EPA-EFE/YURI KOCHETKOV

A shaky truce in Ukraine was already at risk on its second day Feb. 16 with both the Kyiv government and pro-Russian separatists accusing each other of attacks holding up an agreed pull-back of heavy weapons from the frontline.
       

European powers warned Russia it risked fresh sanctions if a ceasefire deal aimed at ending the 10-month war between Ukraine troops and pro-Moscow rebels was not implemented.
       

VIENNA - Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Senior Adviser on Gender Issues, Ambassador Miroslava Beham, has said that enhancing the participation of women in conflict resolution and peace-building efforts is key to achieving security and stability in Ukraine, according to a release from the OSCE.