The World Blog by humble servant.

Turkey continues to be “a source of substantial irritation” for the administration of US president, Joe Biden, the New York Times has reported. According to the outlet, Ankara’s stance on the Ukraine crisis is part of a wider range of issues. Ankara’s involvement in the UN-brokered deal on Ukrainian grain exports between Moscow and Kiev a few days ago was welcomed by Washington, but didn’t mean that all problems in US-Turkish relations have been sorted out, the outlet warned in Saturday’s article. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been described in it as a “headache” and “a source of substantial irritation” for Washington. The Times cited US House Representative Chris Pappas (D-New Hampshire), who claimed that “Turkey has played both sides of the fence in Ukraine. They have not been the reliable ally that we should be able to count on.” “I think the Biden administration needs to take a stronger stance,” Pappas insisted. NATO member Ankara has condemned Moscow’s military...

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has branded a recent joint photo of Vladimir Putin with Recep Tayyip Erdogan a challenge to NATO. The image was shot during a meeting between the Russian and Turkish leaders in Iran. The photo features the three presidents, with host Ebrahim Raisi in the middle, holding hands and smiling. In an interview with Bild published on Saturday, Baerbock noted that this picture is “more than incomprehensible” for her, “especially from the point of view of a NATO member.” While being part of the alliance, Turkey has deviated from other member states in choosing a neutral stance in the Ukraine conflict. NATO as a whole officially considers Russia a threat. “The fact that the Turkish president is in this photo is a challenge, to put it mildly,” she said. Deal struck on Ukraine grain exportsREAD MORE: Deal struck on Ukraine grain exports In her opinion, the photo proves the importance of standing together “with value partners” who “not only believe...