"They even declared that we must pay a $1 billion deposit. Otherwise, the Varyag must either pass through the strait under its own power or be dismantled and transported in pieces. The payment is calculated daily—if it takes more than two days, the cost will increase to $2 billion!" The Ukrainian female diplomat spoke urgently to Mavi over the phone.
Upon hearing this news, Mavi was left speechless. History really does repeat itself! Once again, Turkey was being absurdly unreasonable.
"Besides the $1 billion per day deposit, what other demands have they made?" Mavi asked, suppressing his emotions and staying calm.
"In addition to the deposit, they're demanding that we provide them with advanced artillery technology. They also want an annual guarantee of 2 million tourists from our countries visiting Turkey, which would generate nearly $2 billion in tourism revenue… All of this must be officially guaranteed in writing by our government," the female diplomat reported truthfully.
Mavi quickly estimated that Turkey had imposed more than 20 harsh conditions on Ukraine and XX.
- A staggering $1 billion per day in risk guarantee deposits
- An official written commitment
- Insurance coverage by internationally recognized providers
- The number of initial tugboats increased from 8 to 16
- The entire ship must be fully illuminated while passing through the Bosporus Strait
- Tugboats must be controlled by Turkish authorities
- Firefighting teams must be stationed both on the Varyag and on land to prevent safety incidents
- Sailing must be halted in case of fog, strong winds, or rough seas—but the deposit would still be charged
With such unreasonable demands, it was impossible that Turkey had come up with these conditions on its own—someone had to be influencing them behind the scenes.
After hearing the full details, Mavi's first thought was the European Union. Although Turkey was not an EU member, it had been trying to join for years.
Turkey had long dreamed of becoming a major power again, fantasizing about reviving the Ottoman Empire. But since that was nearly impossible, returning to Europe's embrace seemed like the next best option.
For centuries, Turkey's ancestors had dominated the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Even though only a small portion of its territory remained in Europe, Turkey was still desperate to join the continent. After all, Europe was developed and advanced. Aligning with the EU could promise a better future.
"I'll find a way to handle this. Give me some time. For now, have the tugboats tow the Varyag back to the Black Sea shipyard," Mavi said, rubbing his temples in frustration. These constant troubles never gave him a moment of peace.
"Understood, we'll proceed with that plan for now, Mr. Mavi. Please try to come up with a strategy soon. Meanwhile, we in Ukraine will do our best to negotiate with Turkey," the female diplomat said, feeling equally helpless.
A diplomatic crisis like this was every foreign official's nightmare.
"I'll figure something out as soon as possible!" Mavi promised. This was his business deal, so he had a responsibility to see it through.
In his past life, Ukraine had been powerless when Turkey detained the aircraft carrier, as it had already dismantled its nuclear weapons. In the end, Greece had to step in and provide guarantees, and Ukraine had to meet all of Turkey's demands before the ship was released.
That ordeal lasted a grueling year and a half, involving countless negotiations and talks—it was utterly exhausting.
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Shortly after Mavi ended the call, he was contacted by Deputy Prime Minister Snezhnana, who had previously worked with him.
"Hello, Mavi, this is Snezhnana. Have you heard about the situation in Turkey? The forced detention of the Varyag?"
"Yes, Deputy Prime Minister Snezhnana, I've heard about it. How should we proceed?" Mavi asked over the phone.
"Don't worry, Mr. Mavi. Our Ukrainian government will negotiate with Turkey to ensure they allow the ship to pass through the Bosporus Strait as soon as possible," Snezhnana assured him.
Ukrainians were not the type to be ungrateful. They wouldn't accept help and then turn their backs—it simply wasn't their way.
"Thank you, Deputy Prime Minister Snezhnana!" Mavi expressed his gratitude.
"No need to thank me, Mr. Mavi. Helping each other is the right thing to do," she replied, her loyalty evident. The Iron Lady of Ukraine truly lived up to her reputation—she was straightforward and decisive.
Shortly after their call, she instructed her assistant to arrange a trip to Turkey, intending to handle the negotiations personally.
However, when she arrived in Turkey and met with government officials, she was shocked by their unusually firm stance. Unless Ukraine met all 20+ conditions, they would absolutely not allow the Varyag to pass—not even if the Ukrainian government vouched for it.
A seasoned politician, Snezhnana immediately sensed something was off. Based on her understanding of Turkey, this level of stubbornness was suspicious—there had to be another country secretly interfering.
That evening, in a luxury hotel in Turkey, Deputy Prime Minister Snezhnana called Mavi again to report on the situation.
"Hello, Mr. Mavi. Earlier today, I met with Prime Minister Ahmet of Turkey. From his response, I can tell that getting the Varyag through is going to be much more difficult than we expected…" Snezhnana warned him.
"Thank you for the timely update, Deputy Prime Minister. I may need to come to Turkey tomorrow or the day after. Should we meet in person then?" Mavi suggested.
Earlier that day, he had received a call from the Kremlin instructing him to travel to Turkey alongside Russian diplomats to assess the situation firsthand.
However, Mavi's official status was only that of a shareholder in the Black Sea Shipyard. He was merely an observer and participant—he had no authority to represent Russia or Ukraine in official negotiations.
Nevertheless, Russia had a vested interest in the Varyag's fate. They weren't about to stand by and do nothing. After all, they had billions of dollars in destroyer and frigate orders (including purchases by the Indian Navy).
If Turkey successfully blocked the aircraft carrier this time, Russia and Ukraine backing down could set a dangerous precedent—next time, under the influence of certain foreign powers, Turkey might push even further.
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