After the overthrow of the pro-Russian regime of Bashar al-Assad — who is in exile in Moscow — Ukraine is exploring Syria as an opportunity for energy, defense and logistics deals. Although the country is emerging from a civil war with a shattered economy, Ukraine sees some advantages in closer ties with Damascus.
“Ukraine-Syria-Turkey triangle is a very important alliance that can guarantee stability between Black and Mediterranean seas. A safe link between Europe, Black Sea region, and the Middle East. Together three of us can achieve a lot,” Heorhii Tykhyi, spokesperson for the Ukrainian foreign ministry, said at a briefing on Wednesday.
Looking for friends
For Ukraine, the core of any regional power shift involves cementing closer ties with Turkey.
Turkey is a major power in the Black Sea region and in the Middle East, with the second-largest military in NATO, a keen interest in the affairs of its neighbors and a very capable arms industry. Turkish defense firm Baykar is setting up a factory in Ukraine to build drones.
“Turkey is the only NATO country that can project power in the region, not provoking any global conflict,”said Igor Semyvolos, director of the Kyiv-based Association of Middle East Studies.
Russia’s war against Ukraine is worrying Turkey, fearing that Moscow could control much of the Black Sea, said Soner Çağaptay, director of the Turkish Research Program at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.