By Gloria Ogbonna
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met on Friday in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, for high-level talks focused on the ongoing war in Ukraine, but the carefully choreographed diplomatic meeting took an unexpected and awkward turn when Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif abruptly interrupted the session in an apparent attempt to secure Putin’s support against India and the Taliban-led regime in Afghanistan.
According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Putin and Erdogan engaged in a “thorough exchange of views on Ukrainian affairs” during their meeting, which took place on the sidelines of the International Forum for Peace and Trust.
The discussion followed up on a phone call between the two leaders on November 24, during which they also addressed developments in the Ukraine conflict and Turkey’s potential role as a mediator.
The setting of the forum carried a certain irony. Several attendees, including Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and a senior Chinese envoy, represent governments that have launched or supported military campaigns widely criticized as wars of aggression in recent years.
Nevertheless, the forum was held in Turkmenistan because it is the only country in the world granted permanent “neutrality” status by the United Nations, a designation approved by the U.N. General Assembly in 1995. The timing was symbolic as well, since December 12 was designated the International Day of Neutrality by the U.N. in 2017.
Turkey has positioned itself as a potential broker between Moscow and Kyiv. Erdogan met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky roughly a week before his phone call with Putin and has repeatedly expressed interest in hosting peace negotiations. Speaking at the forum, Erdogan emphasized the urgency of diplomacy in an increasingly unstable world.
“At a time of increasing uncertainty, conflict and fragility on a global scale, we need to shoulder responsibility to establish international dialogue, cooperation, trust and peace,” Erdogan said.
He argued that Turkey’s historical and geographic position gives it a special role in global diplomacy. “We have a responsibility that our history, geography, and civilization have placed upon us,” Erdogan stated, adding that Ankara would use “all our might to ensure that peace and dialogue prevail.”
Erdogan also proposed a limited ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war, focusing on halting attacks against ports and energy infrastructure.
The proposal appeared to be a response to recent Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil tankers in the Black Sea, some of which occurred near Turkish waters. Ankara has reportedly viewed such attacks as a “worrying escalation” that could destabilize the region further.
Zelensky confirmed on Thursday that Erdogan had already shared the ceasefire idea with him and said Kyiv was open to the proposal.
“President Erdogan mentioned this to me. I told him we would support it,” Zelensky said. “He wanted to organize a corresponding meeting—initially at team level, then at the leaders’ level. I told him we are ready.”
However, Zelensky added that Moscow appeared unwilling to agree to any ceasefire without a broader political settlement. “From what I understand, the Russians simply told them that they would not agree to any ceasefire unless an agreement is signed,” he said.
The diplomatic tone of the meeting shifted dramatically when Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, reportedly frustrated after waiting outside the meeting room for an extended period, forced his way into the discussion between Putin and Erdogan.
Witnesses said Sharif appeared visibly annoyed as he entered the room, only to be escorted out by security guards roughly ten minutes later, seemingly without securing the meeting he sought.
The incident quickly became fodder for commentary in Indian media, which mocked Sharif’s actions. Social media users in India derided the interruption as undiplomatic and embarrassing, with some likening the Pakistani leader’s behavior to that of a child or a “beggar.”
India Today described the episode as “a calculated gate-crash, a desperate reach for relevance after being left in the shadows,” while Firstpost suggested Sharif’s frustration stemmed from Pakistan’s diminishing influence in Moscow.
According to the outlet, Sharif may have interpreted being kept waiting for nearly 40 minutes as a sign that Russia now favors India over Pakistan.
The broader geopolitical backdrop adds weight to these interpretations. Pakistan has been facing escalating border clashes with the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, a situation in which Russia could potentially play a mediating role due to its contacts in Kabul.
At the same time, India has strengthened diplomatic and trade ties with the Taliban over the past year and has openly backed the Afghan regime against Pakistan’s interests.
Firstpost also recalled an earlier moment at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in September, when Sharif unsuccessfully attempted to insert himself into a conversation between Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
The image of Pakistan being edged out of the China–Russia–India dynamic, the outlet noted, was a powerful symbol of shifting regional alliances.
Taken together, the Ashgabat incident underscored not only the fragility of diplomacy surrounding the Ukraine war but also the changing balance of power in Eurasia, where traditional alliances are being tested and leaders are increasingly competing for influence on the global stage.
source Breitbart
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