Russia Withdraws Its Troops From Kherson, President Erdogan: Positive And Important Decree

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (Wikimedia Commons/Kremlin.ru/The Russian Presidential Press and Information Office)

JAKARTA - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appreciated Russia's decision to withdraw its troops from the Kherson region, when the war between Russia and Ukraine did not show any signs of ending soon.

In addition, President Erdogan said Ankara would continue his diplomatic efforts to mediate the dispute between Moscow and Kyiv.

"Russian troops leaving Kherson is a positive and important decision," President Erdogan said during a press conference ahead of his departure to Uzbekistan following Moscow's announcement.

Last month, Ankara warned Russia and Ukraine away from diplomatic solutions, making the result of a prolonged war more complicated.

Recently, Turkey helped exchanges of prisoners between warring countries. Also, Turkey's mediation has proven important in facilitating the signing of a deal between Turkey, the United Nations, Russia, and Ukraine in Istanbul to reopen Ukraine's port of wheat exports that have been stuck for months due to war.

As previously reported, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu ordered his troops to withdraw from the western bank of the Dnipro River, near Kherson's southern strategic city of Ukraine, in a significant setback for Moscow and a potential turning point in the war.

However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky did not want to overdo the announcement, calling Ukrainian forces step by step to strengthen its position in the South.

"There is a lot of joy in today's information room, and it's clear why. But, the enemy will not reward us," President Zelensky said, calling Kherson only once in his five-minute speech.

Separately, US President Joe Biden said Moscow's order to withdraw from Kherson was "a testament to the fact that they have some real problems with the Russian military."

It is known that if Ukrainian troops seized all of Dnipro's western edge, US-supplied long-range artillery and double-HIMars rocket launchers would be able to attack Russian bases and logistics positions on the east bank, according to military experts.