Turkey seeks to revive Russia-Ukraine diplomatic discussions

Turkish President Meets with NATO Chief Amid Efforts to Revive Ukraine-Russia Talks

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in Ankara on Wednesday, as part of efforts to revive negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. The Turkish presidency announced that Erdogan expressed his country’s commitment to ending the conflict through peace talks.

Erdogan also emphasized the importance of maintaining transatlantic ties, stating that European NATO allies should take more responsibility for transatlantic security. He discussed this point with German Chancellor Frank-Walter Steinmeier in a separate phone call on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has asked Turkey, as a NATO member, to host a leaders’ level meeting with Russia. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated that Ukraine would consider any location other than Belarus or Russia for such a meeting. Russian news agencies quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying that President Vladimir Putin would only meet his counterpart for the purpose of finalizing agreements on the conflict.

The Turkish president’s comments come amid ongoing efforts to revive negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, which have been at war since 2022. Erdogan’s office stated that Turkey is working to achieve a lasting peace through talks in Ukraine, similar to its efforts with regards to Iran.

Source: Al Jazeera