Seeing a clear loophole on their side, Ahmed barely had time to wipe his mouth before hurriedly objecting, "No! No! What you're doing is taking advantage of a loophole in our system—this is absolutely unacceptable!"
"How is this exploiting a loophole? If that's the case, then what about Turkey's stubborn adherence to rigid interpretations of the rules? The Bosporus Strait is 750 meters wide and 30 meters deep. Meanwhile, our Varyag aircraft carrier is only 70.5 meters wide and has a draft of less than 10.5 meters. How much economic disruption could it possibly cause? It's clear that it can easily and smoothly pass through the strait!"
As soon as Mavi finished speaking, his well-reasoned and logical argument left a strong impression. Sitting beside him, Deputy Prime Minister Snyelyana and diplomat Vyacheslav could hardly contain their gratitude—they wished they could rush forward and give him a heartfelt hug, maybe even a sincere kiss...
On the other hand, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmed was left speechless. He could only sit there, staring blankly and breathing heavily. He had never expected that a young man—neither a diplomat nor a high-ranking government official—could be so articulate and sharp-minded!
Where on earth did this genius come from!?
Ahmed was at a loss for words as he looked at Mavi. Finally, after much effort, he managed to squeeze out a few words: "Let's end today's discussion here. I'm feeling a little unwell." With that, he stood up, preparing to escort Mavi and his team out.
Avoiding a direct response and stalling for time seemed like a decent strategy for Turkey. But that didn't matter—if the Turkish government refused to provide an answer, then the Ukrainian and Russian governments could answer for them.
"Prime Minister Ahmed, if your government continues to evade this issue, then the moment Mr. Vyacheslav and I step out of the Prime Minister's office, we will announce to the media that we plan to follow Mr. Mavi's suggestion—reacquiring the Varyag and moving it through the Bosporus Strait," said Snyelyana, the Iron Lady of Ukraine, exuding confidence.
The message was clear: Turkey had to give an answer now. If they stalled and tried to coordinate with the EU for countermeasures, the situation could take a completely different turn.
"Deputy Prime Minister Snyelyana, if you insist on using such underhanded tactics to exploit a loophole in our laws, then there's nothing I can do to stop you. But if this leads to any unnecessary conflict, don't say I didn't warn you!" Ahmed, unable to come up with a better rebuttal, could only issue a blustering warning, trying to intimidate Snyelyana.
After all, the Bosporus Strait was under Turkish control. Whether Ukraine's aircraft carrier could pass through or not was ultimately up to them.
"We'll see about that!" Snyelyana shot back. The discussion had clearly reached a dead end. After days of negotiations, she fully understood Turkey's real agenda—they were simply finding excuses to block the Varyag from passing.
The so-called Montreux Convention and claims of economic disruption were just pretexts. As the saying goes, "If you want to condemn someone, you can always find a charge."
"Fine. Remember, you said it, Deputy Prime Minister Snyelyana," Ahmed finally responded, feigning toughness.
With that, the negotiations between Ukraine, Russia, and Turkey ended in a stalemate. As soon as Mavi and his team stepped out of the Turkish Prime Minister's office, Deputy Prime Minister Snyelyana turned to him and said, "Mr. Mavi, we owe you a great debt today. You've done Ukraine a huge favor once again!"
There's an old saying: "Cutting off someone's source of income is like killing their parents." Turkey's repeated attempts to hinder Ukraine and Russia were something they could not tolerate.
And in such a critical moment, Mavi had demonstrated sharp thinking and found an effective breakthrough. His contribution was invaluable—like delivering coal in the middle of a harsh winter.
"Yes, Mr. Mavi, your argument just now was brilliant! Honestly, even many of our Russian diplomats don't have your quick thinking," Vyacheslav added, expressing his gratitude.
Mavi blinked, unsure whether to laugh or not. In reality, it had just been a flash of inspiration—a momentary stroke of genius.
It seemed that international disputes between countries could sometimes be resolved just like personal arguments—whoever could argue better won.
Then again, it made sense. Countries couldn't afford all-out war, so diplomacy often boiled down to verbal battles and strategic pressure.
"I just happened to think of it at the right time," Mavi replied modestly before asking, "What's the next step, Deputy Prime Minister Snyelyana? Mr. Vyacheslav?"
"I expect that Turkey will try to stall for time," Snyelyana replied with a smile. "So, Mr. Mavi, I think we should implement your strategy right away."
That afternoon, after receiving clear instructions from the Ukrainian government, Snyelyana held a press conference and publicly announced Mavi's proposed solution to the global media.
"After careful deliberation, the Ukrainian government has decided to repurchase the Varyag aircraft carrier. Since it will once again be a Ukrainian vessel, it will no longer be subject to the restrictions of the Montreux Convention."
"So, if Turkey continues to block our warship, the Ukrainian government will take special countermeasures—and we will not tolerate any further obstruction!" Snyelyana declared firmly in front of the press.
As the saying goes, "Reason first, force second." Diplomacy between nations was no different. If reasoning failed and the other side refused to budge, then the next step was to see who had the stronger hand.
The moment Snyelyana finished speaking, the media was stunned by her bold approach. Reporters rushed to ask how she had come up with the idea.
"Deputy Prime Minister Snyelyana, that was an incredibly clever solution! May I ask if it was your idea?" a female American reporter asked admiringly.
Snyelyana smiled and shook her head, refusing to take credit. "That's all for today's press conference. Thank you for attending!" she said before leaving under the escort of her female bodyguards.
---
The next morning, Snyelyana's statements made headlines in newspapers worldwide, sending shockwaves across the international stage!
Time Magazine International Edition – Headline:
"Yesterday afternoon, Ukraine's stunning Deputy Prime Minister Snyelyana announced that Ukraine would repurchase the Varyag aircraft carrier and navigate it through Turkish waters as a national vessel."
(End of Chapter)