The leader of a NATO country congratulated Putin on his birthday

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulated his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on his birthday and discussed the Ukrainian conflict. TASS reports this with reference to the office of the Turkish leader.

“President Erdogan expressed the view that ensuring the safety of navigation in the Black Sea is of paramount importance and emphasized that Turkey is always ready to contribute to efforts to establish direct contacts between Russia and Ukraine,” the statement said.

Erdogan also congratulated the Russian leader on his birthday and on the success of the United Russia party in the State Duma elections. The presidents of Russia and Turkey also discussed bilateral relations, regional and global issues.