UKRAINE WRAP | Russia's expanded goals in Ukraine reflect what US has warned about -State Department

July 20 2022 - 20:54

Russia's expanded goals in Ukraine reflect what US has warned about -State Department

 US State Department spokesperson Ned Price on Wednesday said that Russia's expanded military focus in Ukraine to annex parts of the country beyond the eastern Donbas region is what the Biden administration has warned about.

"This war is nothing more than a war of territorial conquest," Price said at a briefing in reaction to comments issued by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

-Reuters

July 20 2022 - 18:53

Russian oil and gas condensate output rose to 10.21 mln bpd in May - stats office

Russian oil and gas condensate production rose to 43.2 million tonnes or 10.21 million barrels per day in May, according to data published on Wednesday by the Rosstat statistics office.

That was an increase on the April figure of 10.04 million bpd. President Vladimir Putin has already given a figure of 10.7 million bpd for June, citing that as evidence that the domestic fuel and energy situation remains stable despite western sanctions imposed on Russia over Ukraine.

The Russian government has been publishing fewer statistics on oil and gas production since April, after Moscow launched what it calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine on February 24. 

-Reuters

July 20 2022 - 17:38

Russia’s nuclear giant starts building Egypt’s first reactors

Russia’s state-controlled Rosatom began construction of Egypt’s first nuclear power plant as the North African nation balances its ties with the Kremlin and western allies who have sanctioned Moscow over its war in Ukraine.

Work has started on the first of four 1,200-megawatt power units that will be built at El Dabaa, 300km northwest of Cairo, according to a statement from Rosatom. The company is the world’s biggest supplier of nuclear fuel and reactors, and hasn’t been sanctioned by the US or Europe.

Russia has a history of pursuing large-scale energy projects in Egypt, often as part of a broader effort to challenge US political, military and economic influence.

July 20 2022 - 16:58

Russian official says Ukraine shelled border villages, killing one

The governor of Russia's southern Belgorod region said on Wednesday that Ukraine had shelled two Russian villages near the border, killing a local resident.

"According to preliminary reports, five shells landed. In Nekhoteevka, four houses were damaged, roofing, windows, a fence and a village clubhouse were hit," governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram, adding that a local man was killed.

Reuters was not able to independently verify the report.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Russian officials have reported sporadic attacks on Russian settlements, checkpoints and infrastructure near the Ukrainian border, accusing Kyiv of carrying out the strikes. Ukraine has not claimed responsibility but has described the incidents at weapons stores and other sites as "karma" for Russia's invasion.

– Reuters

July 20 2022 - 15:35

US to send four more HIMARS to Ukraine: Pentagon chief

US defence secretary Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday the US will send four additional high mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS) to Ukraine. "[We] will keep finding innovative ways to sustain our long-term support for the brave men and women of the Ukrainian armed forces and we will tailor our assistance to ensure that Ukraine has the technology, the ammunition and the sheer firepower to defend itself," Austin said at the start of a virtual meeting with allies on Ukraine. – Reuters

July 20 2022 - 15:34

Russia's Lavrov: Peace talks don't make sense right now: RIA

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday that it makes no sense to resume peace talks with Kyiv at the moment, the RIA Novosti news agency reported. Lavrov earlier on Wednesday said the geographical objectives of what Moscow calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine were no longer limited to the eastern Donbas region. – Reuters

July 20 2022 - 15:33

More than 9.5-million border crossings from Ukraine since invasion: UN

The number of border crossings from Ukraine has surpassed 9.5-million for the first time since Russia invaded the country, the UN Refugee Agency reported on Wednesday. A total of 9,547,969 border crossings from Ukraine have been recorded since February 24, the agency's tally showed on Wednesday. – Reuters

July 20 2022 - 15:32

Turkey's Erdogan says almost all Nordic countries are 'nests of terror'

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that almost all Nordic countries had become "nests of terror", and repeated a threat to block Finland and Sweden's Nato membership bids if the two did not keep terrorism-related promises made to Ankara.

Finland and Sweden applied for Nato membership in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but were faced with opposition from Turkey, which accused them countries of supporting groups it deems terrorists. Last month, the three countries signed an accord to lift Ankara's veto in exchange for pledges on counter-terrorism and arms exports.

Speaking to reporters on a flight from Tehran, Erdogan said almost all Nordic countries, including Norway, had become "nests of terror", adding Nato allies Germany, the Netherlands, France, Italy and Britain were also allowing groups Turkey considers to be terrorist organisations roam free, according to a text shared by the presidency.

– Reuters

July 20 2022 - 15:31

Erdogan says he wants Black Sea grain corridor deal in writing this week

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he wants a possible deal on resuming Ukrainian grain exports from the Black Sea under a United Nations-led plan to be put in writing this week after a general agreement was reached last week, according to the text shared by the Turkish presidency on Wednesday.

On Monday, Ankara said a meeting between Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the UN would "probably" be held this week.

"An agreement emerged from the talks in Istanbul last week on the general outline of the process under the UN plan. Now, we want to tie this agreement to a written document," Erdogan told reporters on a return flight from Tehran, where he met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

"We hope the plan will begin to be implemented in the coming days," Erdogan added.

He also said Turkey and Russia, maritime neighbours in the Black Sea, would continue their solidarity on natural gas and the Akkuyu nuclear power plant, adding he had also discussed the procurement of amphibious airplanes from Russia with Putin.

– Reuters

July 20 2022 - 15:00

Ukraine seeks debt payment freeze as war ravages economy

Ukraine will ask international bondholders to agree to a two-year delay on its debt payments so it can focus its dwindling financial resources on repelling Russia, a government resolution published on Wednesday showed.

Facing an estimated 35-45% crash in GDP this year following Moscow's invasion in February, lawmakers have instructed the country's finance ministry to negotiate the deferral on its roughly $20bn of debt by August 15.

The delay, which many creditors say is likely to be accepted and was quickly backed  by major western powers, would come just in time to put off around $1.2bn of debt payments due at the start of September. The government's resolution posted on its website said, "all interest payment dates for the bonds" would be deferred under the plan. In a bid to avoid what would be classed as a hard default, Kyiv plans to offer lenders, which include governments and many of the world's largest investment funds, additional interest payments once the freeze ends.

Ukraine has estimated a fiscal shortfall of $5bn - or 2.5% of pre-war GDP - a month, which economists calculate pushes its fiscal deficit to 25% of GDP, compared with just 3.5% before the conflict. On top of that, researchers from the Kyiv School of Economics estimate that it will already take over $100bn to rebuild Ukraine's bombed infrastructure, while the head of the EU's powerful financing arm, the European Investment Bank, has warned it could run into trillions.

"We, as official bilateral creditors of Ukraine, intend to provide a coordinated suspension of debt service," a group of governments including the US, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and UK said shortly after Ukraine made its proposal. "We also strongly encourage all other official bilateral creditors to swiftly reach agreement" the group added.

Wednesday's move had marked something of a U-turn from Kyiv, which had repeatedly said in recent months that it planned to keep up debt payments despite the war. Speculation that a debt freeze request could be imminent, however, was fanned last week after the country's state-run energy firm Naftogaz also requested one.

"A proper restructuring still needs to happen, said Viktor Szabo, a portfolio manager at abrdn which holds Ukraine's government bonds. "But it cannot be done before the situation normalises on the ground, ie. a sustained cease-fire at least.”

Ukraine has a host of bonds, borrowings which add up to over $20bn in total. The government also plans to postpone payment on a growth-linked 'warrant' offered after its last restructuring in 2015, which was designed to pay investors handsomely if the economy hit its stride.

Tymofiy Mylovanov, an adviser to the Ukrainian presidential office, had urged Western countries to increase their financial support in recent weeks.

Global institutions such as the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and Western governments have committed to providing $38bn since the invasion, although almost 80% of that support is made up of loans rather than aid.

Wednesday's move from Ukraine had little impact on the bonds that Kyiv wants to delay. The prices of most of those bonds had already slumped roughly 80% since the start of the year when the build up of Russian troops on its eastern borders began.

– Reuters

July 20 2022 - 14:40

Russia's Putin: We are yet to see the quality of returned Nord Stream 1 equipment

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that it is not clear in what condition the Nord Stream 1 turbine will be returned after repairs in Canada.

He also said that there is a risk that the equipment could be switched off and that Nord Stream 1 stops after it is returned from Canada. 

– Reuters

July 20 2022 - 14:10

Teenager killed at bus stop in Russian attack on Ukrainian city of Kharkiv

A 13-year-old boy was killed by a Russian missile strike as he waited for a bus near a mosque in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Wednesday, local officials said.

After the attack, the teenager's father knelt holding the hand of his dead son, whose covered body lay on the street near the destroyed bus shelter, a Reuters photograph showed. Rescue workers carried away another corpse on a stretcher. The nearby mosque had been badly damaged.

Oleh Synehubov, the governor of the Kharkiv region, said three people had been killed in Kharkiv on Wednesday — the teenager, a man and a woman — but it was not clear whether all three died at the bus stop. He said the dead teenager's 15-year-old sister had also been wounded but did not give their names. "This is another terrible act of terror by the Russians," Synegubov wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

Russia did not immediately comment on the incident. It has denied deliberately targeting civilians although Russian missile and rocket attacks have devastated Ukrainian cities and towns.

In a separate Telegram post, the local prosecutor's office said it believed the rockets were fired from an Uragan multiple rocket launcher.

Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-biggest city, resisted a Russian assault that reached its outskirts in the first two months of the invasion, but has experienced almost daily shelling over the past month after a period of relative calm.

– Reuters

July 20 2022 - 13:53

EU says countries have cut gas use by just 5%, deeper savings needed

EU countries have only reduced their combined gas demand by 5% despite dwindling supplies from Russia and months of soaring prices, the European Commission said on Wednesday, as it put forward plans to trigger deeper gas savings. "EU level savings so far have been equal for 5% and this is clearly not enough. So we have to start, coordinate, savings programmes right now, if we don't want to face the worst-case scenario in the middle of the winter," said EU energy policy chief Kadri Simson. – Reuters

July 20 2022 - 13:25

Lavrov says Russia's objectives in Ukraine now go beyond Donbas

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday that the geographical objectives of Moscow's "special military operation" in Ukraine are no longer limited to the eastern Donbas region but include a number of other territories, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported.

Lavrov added that Russia's objectives will expand still further if the West delivers long-range weapons to Kyiv, the agency said. When Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, President Vladimir Putin denied any intention of occupying Ukrainian territories, saying his aim was to demilitarise and "denazify" the country — a statement dismissed by Kyiv and the West as a pretext for an imperial-style war of expansion.

After being beaten back in an initial attempt to take the capital Kyiv, Russia's defence ministry said on March 25 that the first phase of the special operation was complete and it would now focus on "achieving the main goal, the liberation of Donbas".

Nearly four months later, it has taken Luhansk, one of two regions that make up the Donbas, but remains far from capturing all of the other, Donetsk. However, its forces have already seized territory way beyond Donbas, especially in the southern Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, and continue to launch missile strikes on cities across Ukraine.

– Reuters

July 20 2022 - 12:23

Czechs want F-35 fighter jets, CV-90 fighting vehicles

The Czech government agreed on Wednesday to open talks with the US on supplies of the F-35 Lightning II fighter jets made by Lockheed Martin Corp to replace leased Gripen fighters from Sweden's Saab AB, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said.

The Nato member country will also lead talks to buy fighting vehicles from a Swedish subsidiary of BAE Systems after cancelling a tender for the supplies.

"This is another step to modernise the army and meet our alliance commitments," Fiala told a news conference shown live on television. "These are important decisions at a time when the security of Europe and the Czech Republic faces new challenges caused by Russia's aggression in Ukraine."

Defence minister Jana Cernochova said the country wanted 24 F-35s, and talks should be concluded by October next year.

The country now has 14 Swedish-made Gripen jets under a leasing agreement until 2027. Lockheed Martin said in June it could deliver the first F-35 fighter jets to Czech neighbour Germany in 2026, and expected more orders for the aircraft in Europe including possibly Greece and the Czech Republic. The US department of defence agreed with Lockheed Martin to build about 375 F-35 fighter jets over three years, the two parties said on Monday.

The Czech government also cancelled a long-dragging $2.6bn tender for around 210 tracked fighting vehicles which included BAE Systems, General Dynamics and Rheinmetall. It will instead talk to the Swedish government on deliveries of the CV-90, Cernochova said, referring to armoured vehicles made by a Swedish subsidiary of BAE Systems. 

– Reuters

July 20 2022 - 12:20

Ukraine seeks foreign-debt payment halt

Ukraine is seeking to delay payments on its foreign debt and change the coupon structure on some existing bonds as Russia’s invasion hobbles its economy and depletes foreign reserves. The government wants to agree with bondholders on a two-year payment freeze and changes to its so-called GDP warrants by August 15, according to decrees published on the government’s website Wednesday.

Ukrainian officials have for weeks explored debt restructuring as the country’s funding options dry up and the war destroys its industry. The junk-rated sovereign faces mammoth $1.4bn foreign-debt redemption and interest payments in September, according to finance ministry data. The delay may save $3bn in debt redemption costs over two years, and more with interest payments, according to Bloomberg calculations.

“Given the circumstances, a term-out was inevitable,” said Viktor Szabo, a London-based money manager at Aberdeen Asset Management, who holds Ukrainian bonds. “It would make horrible PR for investors to reject the offer.”

Ukraine will service and redeem its bonds and GDP warrants, securities with coupons tied to the country’s economic performance, if bondholders don’t agree to the proposed changes, according to the decree. The finance ministry didn’t specify when or how officials will contact bondholders.

With about $25bn of foreign debt outstanding, Ukraine’s dollar bonds due in 2033 are trading around 18 cents on the dollar, down from about 25 cents at the end of last month and more than 80 cents before Russia’s invasion in February. Ukraine has relied mostly on foreign aid and the central bank financing to fund its budget, including military spending, and has run down currency reserves. The sovereign restructured its bonds in 2015, after Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula and stoked military conflict in Ukraine’s industrial eastern regions.

That $18bn debt deal included a 20% writedown to the face value of the bonds, higher average interest payments and issuance of the warrants tied to economic growth. The government’s decree from Wednesday assumes an extension of the GDP warrants by a year to 2041 and a cut in the cap on payments for 2023 at 0.5% of annual economic output, down from 1%. Ukraine also wants to delay a payment due on May 31 2023 to August 1 2024.

“They are trying to be investor friendly and terming it out,” said Tim Ash, a senior emerging-markets strategist at Bluebay Asset Management. “We haven’t seen the full terms yet so hard to say what investor response will be, but there will be a lot of moral pressure to help Ukraine.”

– Bloomberg

July 20 2022 - 12:17

Russian defence ministry says it destroyed US-made anti-ship missile launcher in Ukraine

Russia's defence ministry said on Wednesday that a US-made Harpoon anti-ship missile launcher had been destroyed in Ukraine's Odesa region. Ukraine began receiving the Harpoon missiles from Denmark in May as part of wider Western arms shipments to Kyiv. Reuters could not immediately confirm the strike. – Reuters

July 20 2022 - 11:42

Russia central bank proposes limiting access to foreign stocks

The Russian central bank has proposed limiting access to foreign stocks for retail investors who have not passed a qualification test, Central bank deputy chair Philip Gabunia said on Wednesday. Gabunia also said more than 5-million people in Russia have assets on their accounts frozen as a result of sweeping Western sanctions designed to punish Russia for what it calls a "special military operation" in Ukraine. – Reuters

July 20 2022 - 11:38

US, allies discuss possible training for Ukrainian air force

The US and its allies are starting to examine possible training for Ukrainian pilots as part of a long-term effort to potentially help Kyiv build a future Ukrainian air force, Air Force Chief of Staff Charles “CQ” Brown told Reuters.

With the West's provision of anti-aircraft weaponry, Ukraine has been able to prevent Russia from using its far more advanced air force to establish dominance in the skies since Moscow's invasion began on February 24.

But Ukraine has also sought to move away from its dependence on Russian aircraft by securing US fighter jets and training for its pilots on how to fly them. Ukraine's air force has publicly flagged its hopes for F-15s and F-16s.

July 20 2022 - 10:55

Bracing for Russian gas cuts, EU to ask countries to cut demand

The European Union will set out emergency plans on Wednesday to reduce gas demand within months, warning countries that without deep cuts now they could struggle for fuel during winter if Russia cuts off deliveries.

Europe is racing to fill its gas storage ahead of winter and build a supply buffer in case Moscow further restricts supplies in retaliation for European support for Ukraine in its war with Russia. Russia's Gazprom has already halted deliveries to some EU states.

The European Commission will urge countries to prepare for possible further cuts by slashing gas use. A draft of the EU plan, seen by Reuters, would propose a voluntary target for countries to cut their gas demand over the next eight months, which could be made legally binding in a supply emergency.

July 20 2022 - 10:38

Russia to punish Wikimedia Foundation over Ukraine conflict 'fakes'

Russia's communications watchdog said on Wednesday it was taking steps to punish the Wikimedia Foundation, which hosts online encyclopedia Wikipedia, for violating Russian law around the conflict in Ukraine.

In a statement, Roskomnadzor said that Wikipedia still hosted "prohibited materials, including fakes about the course of the special military operation on the territory of Ukraine", and that search engines would be used to inform users that Wikimedia violated Russian law.

Roskomnadzor said the measures would remain in place until Wikimedia Foundation becomes fully compliant with Russian law.

Russia introduced sweeping new laws on sharing information about the conflict in Ukraine shortly after the Kremlin ordered tens of thousands of troops to deploy to the country on February 24

– Reuters

July 20 2022 - 10:36

Fidgeting Putin kept waiting for Erdogan ahead of talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin was left waiting and fidgeting for 50 seconds by Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan ahead of talks in Tehran on Tuesday, prompting Turkish media to draw parallels with Putin making him and other leaders stand by in the past.

The meeting in Iran was Putin's first with a Nato alliance leader since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February. A video released by the Turkish presidency showed Putin standing in front of his chair and the nations' two flags, his hands clasped, mouth twitching and his stance shifting before Erdogan appears. Putin then raises his hands to his sides.

"Hello, how are you, good?" Erdogan said as they then smiled at each other and shook hands.

Media reports compared the incident with others of Putin letting world leaders cool their heels in the past, notably in Moscow in 2020 when Erdogan was left waiting for about two minutes by the Russian leader ahead of a meeting.Turkey's T24 website asked in a headline: "Was it revenge?"

– Reuters

July 20 2022 - 10:32

Key bridge in Kherson region 'badly damaged' by Ukraine shelling

Ukrainian shelling badly damaged the crucial Antonivskyi bridge in the Russia-controlled Kherson region of southern Ukraine, Moscow-installed regional authorities said on Wednesday.

The bridge — one of only two crossing points for Russian forces to territory they have occupied on the western bank of the vast Dnipro river in southern Ukraine — has been a key target for Ukrainian forces in recent days, with Kyiv using high-precision US-supplied rockets to try to destroy it.

The Russian-backed head of the Kherson region, Volodymyr Saldo, closed the bridge to cargo traffic on Wednesday morning in what he called a "temporary restriction" to allow repair works. Passenger cars were still able to use the bridge, which is more than a kilometre long, Saldo said in an "urgent appeal" published on social media.

Local officials told the RIA news agency that Ukraine hit the bridge at around 4am with 12 shells from the newly arrived High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), a US-supplied long-range artillery weapon which Kyiv hopes will turn the tide of the war.

"If the strikes continue, the bridge might collapse," the TASS news agency quoted the deputy head of the Russian-installed administration as saying.

Britain's defence ministry described the bridge as a "key vulnerability for Russian forces". "It is one of only two road crossing points over the Dnipro by which Russia can supply or withdraw its forces in the territory it has occupied west of the river," it said in a daily intelligence briefing.

Territory occupied by Russian forces on the western side of the river include the region's main city, Kherson, home to 280,000 people before Russia's February 24 invasion.

Russia captured the city and most of the surrounding area with little resistance in the early days of the invasion, but Ukrainian officials have in recent weeks talked up a planned counter-offensive, backed by Western-supplied weapons, to retake the territory. 

– Reuters

July 20 2022 - 07:32

China's imports of Russian coal rise 22% due to cheaper cargoes

China's coal imports from Russia rose 22% in June from a month ago despite a decline in its total coal purchases, as traders were drawn to discounted cargoes following western sanctions on Moscow over the war in Ukraine.

The world's biggest consumer of the fossil fuel brought in 6.12 million tonnes of coal from Russia last month, data from the General Administration of Customs showed on Wednesday.

That compares with 5.01 million tonnes in May and 5.24 million tonnes in June 2021.China has been increasing coal imports from Russia since March, when global coal prices soared to record highs but Russian cargoes were traded at steep discounts as western allies weaned themselves away from doing business with Moscow after Russia attacked Ukraine.

Beijing has refused to condemn Russia's attack on Ukraine, which the Kremlin has called a "special operation".

Prices for Russian coal with heating value at 6,000 kilocalories stand at around $173-$176 a tonne, compared to more than $400 a tonne for benchmark Newcastle coal.

However, China's appetite for imported coal - even Russian cargoes - has been curbed by lower domestic prices due to Beijing's Covid-19 lockdowns that have driven down demand.

Arrivals of Indonesian coal, mostly cheap and low-quality thermal coal with heating value below 3,800 kcal, were 9.6 million tonnes in June, down from 12.4 million tonnes in May and down 43.5% from a year ago, customs data showed.

China's customs data showed zero coal shipment from Australia in June.Shares of Australian coal miners have jumped after talk of China ending its unofficial ban on imports of Australian coal, in place since October 2020, intensified.

Meanwhile, China's coal exports, mainly anthracite, reached 517,842 tonnes, the highest level since March 2020, as traders sought to profit from widening spreads between domestic and international prices.

Prices of Chinese coal with 5,500 kcal are capped by Beijing at around 1,200 yuan ($177.93) a tonne

Reuters 

July 20 2022 - 07:00

Putin says Ukraine did not make good on preliminary peace deal

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said Moscow did not see any desire from Ukraine to fulfil the terms of what he described as a preliminary peace deal agreed to in March.

Putin, speaking to reporters in televised comments after a visit to Iran, said Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were offering to mediate between Russia and Ukraine, which Moscow's forces invaded in late February.

There was no immediate response from the Ukrainian government to Putin's remarks in the early hours of Wednesday.

Putin, asked about a possible meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said Kyiv had not stuck to the terms of a preliminary peace deal he said had been "practically achieved" in March, without elaborating.

"The final result of course... depends on the willingness of the contracting parties to implement the agreements that were reached. Today we see the powers in Kyiv have no such desire."

Negotiations took place in March, with both sides making proposals but without a breakthrough. At the time, Zelenskiy said only a concrete result from the talks could be trusted.

Putin met Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran on Tuesday, deepening ties between the two countries who are both under Western sanctions.

During the visit to Iran, Putin also met Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to discuss a deal that would resume Ukraine's Black Sea grain exports, now blockaded by Russia.

Russia was ready to facilitate Ukrainian grain exports by the Black Sea, but also wanted the remaining curbs on Russian grain exports to be removed, said Putin, who was shown by Rossiya state TV answering questions from media at the end of his visit to Iran.

On Tuesday the Russian leader had said not all the issues had been resolved yet on grain shipments, "but the fact that there is movement is already good."

It was Putin's first in-person meeting with a Nato leader since Russian troops invaded and was a pointed message to the West about Russian plans to forge closer strategic ties with Iran, China and India to help offset Western sanctions imposed over the invasion.

Reuters 

July 20 2022 - 06:00

Putin forges ties with Iran's supreme leader in Tehran

Russian President Vladimir Putin met Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in Tehran, stressing closer ties in the face of Western pressure over the war in Ukraine.