Turkish President met his Ukrainian counterpart, proposing to organize a peace summit between Kiev and Moscow.
“We maintain solidarity with Ukraine, but also continue efforts to end hostilities through peaceful means based on negotiations. We are ready to organize a peace summit with Russia's presence," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during a joint press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in Istanbul on March 8.
The statement came after Mr. Zelensky announced that Russia would not be invited to participate in the peace summit for Ukraine taking place in Switzerland next month, but left open the possibility that Russian officials could be present in the meetings. meeting after Kiev's allies agreed on a roadmap to peace.
President Zelensky (left) and his counterpart Erdogan after talks in Istanbul on March 8. Image: AFP
President Zelensky arrived in Turkey on the morning of March 8 and held talks for more than an hour with Mr. Erdogan, discussing the war situation between Russia and Ukraine, security with maritime routes on the Black Sea and defense industry cooperation. .
Russian officials have not commented on the information. President Vladimir Putin plans to visit Türkiye before elections in Russia on March 15-17.
Türkiye, a NATO member, supports Ukraine's territorial integrity but also maintains close relations with Russia. Ankara regularly dialogues with Moscow and Kiev, and acted as sponsor of last year's Black Sea grain deal.
Turkey is the host of several rounds of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in 2022, but says no further diplomatic steps have been taken to promote results from this series of peace talks. Ankara regularly proposes holding leadership summits to resolve conflicts.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov last week, saying it was time for Moscow and Kiev to start negotiating a ceasefire, but emphasized that this did not mean recognizing Russia's sovereignty over the areas. the area this country controlled after the outbreak of hostilities.
Vu Anh (Follow Reuters, AFP)
