Putin determined to find the mastermind behind the assassination of the Russian ambassador

(Baonghean.vn) - The Russian President called the assassination of his country's ambassador to Türkiye a "provocation".

Russian President Putin wants to find the mastermind behind the assassination. Photo: AP.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on December 19 that Moscow must find out who was behind the plot to assassinate Russian Ambassador to Türkiye Andrei Karlov.

“The Russian Investigative Committee has opened a criminal investigation into the assassination. It has been ordered to form a working group to Ankara to investigate the case together with its Turkish counterparts,” he said at a meeting in the Kremlin.

The Russian President recalled: “Ambassador Karlov died as a soldier. He was a talented diplomat, famous in the country where he served, had good relations with the Turkish leadership as well as other political forces that respected him.”

Putin said the slain diplomat “was an educated, polite and decent person”.

“I understand that well, I also know him personally, and during my last trip to Türkiye in the fall he accompanied me throughout the entire visit,” the Russian president said.

Investigate

According to Mr. Putin, the agreement on this issue was reached during a phone call with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.

Putin has called for increased security measures at Russian diplomatic missions in Türkiye. He stressed the urgency of “obtaining guarantees from the Turkish side on the security of the Russian diplomatic mission in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.”

He asked the meeting participants to “coordinate proposals to strengthen security measures at Russian diplomatic missions abroad.”

The gunman who killed the Russian Ambassador to Türkiye. Photo: AP.

Russia needs to step up efforts to fight terrorism

Russia will further step up efforts to fight terrorism globally as this is the only response to the assassination of Ambassador Andrei Karlov, Putin stressed.

“The crime was committed and there is no doubt that it was a provocation aimed at destroying the restoration of Russian-Turkish relations and disrupting the process of peaceful settlement of the Syrian conflict, as promoted by Russia, Turkey, Iran and other countries, which are interested in settling the situation in Syria,” Putin said.

At a special meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service Sergey Lavrov and Director of the Federal Security Service Alexander Bortnikov, Mr. Putin said: “There is only one response to this crime and that is to intensify the fight against terrorism. Terrorists will have to bear all the consequences.”

Thu Giang

(According to TASS)