The spotlight is on Turkey's decision to drop its opposition to Sweden's accession to NATO, which has drawn sharp criticism from Russian propagandists.

The move by Turkey is a departure from its previous balancing act between the West and Russia, especially in light of Moscow's aggression against Ukraine.

Ankara's decision was met with criticism from Russian media, which accused Turkey of gradually becoming unfriendly and equating it to a betrayal.

Russian Federation Council Committee on Defense and Security head, Viktor Bondarev, said that Turkey's actions equate to a "stab in the back." Turkey's actions are seen as a departure from its previous balancing act between the West and Russia.

The main sources of disagreement between Ankara and Moscow are Turkey's continuous support for Ukraine's NATO accession and its construction of a drone factory in Ukraine.

Despite the tensions, analysts believe that the relationship between Turkey and Russia will not be significantly impacted by these developments due to mutually beneficial economic ties.

Turkey's economy is heavily dependent on Russian natural gas, and Moscow views Turkey as a key partner in the region.

Turkey's decision to repatriate Ukrainian soldiers captured by Russia in the Azov region has also fueled tensions between the two nations.

This move followed a meeting between Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier this month.

The five Ukrainian soldiers were part of the Azovstal defense in Mariupol and were taken to Turkey as part of a prisoner swap agreement.

According to the agreement, they were supposed to remain in Turkey until the war ended.

Pro-Kremlin TV host Olga Skabeeva criticized Erdogan for failing to notify Russia in advance about the Azov prisoner release.

Erdogan held a press conference on Wednesday, where he announced that Sweden's NATO accession ratification could take place in October or even sooner.

He also stated that the decision to release the Azov commanders was for a reason.

Erdogan expects to have a face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in August to discuss these issues.

Turkey and Russia's relationship has been described as asymmetric, with Turkey benefiting greatly since the start of the war.

This is evident in Russia's lack of reaction to Turkey's actions.

Alper Ulgen, a visiting scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, believes that Russia is trying to build a new energy hub in Turkey to facilitate its gas exports in response to European projects to reduce reliance on Russian energy.

Experts predict that Turkey and Russia will continue to cooperate where their interests align, despite disagreements on various policy areas.

Soner Cagaptay, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute, suggests that Turkish foreign policy will remain transactional and pragmatic, rather than undergoing a major shift.

Cagaptay believes that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will leverage the opportunity to establish closer ties with US President Joe Biden and is eyeing a visit to Washington.

This is seen as a charm offensive aimed at securing benefits such as the deepening and modernization of the Customs Union with the EU and restoring market confidence in the Turkish economy.

The extent to which Turkey will be able to balance its relationship with both Biden and Putin is still unclear.

However, in a surprise tweet on Wednesday evening, Biden thanked Erdogan for his "courage, leadership, and diplomacy," reaffirming their commitment to the NATO defense and expressing hope that they can make it even stronger.