Istanbul-Turkey’s foreign minister said in an interview released Sunday that Russia and Ukraine are approaching an agreement on “significant” issues and hope that they will ceasefire if they do not retreat from the progress they have achieved so far. Stated.
Russian troops invaded Ukraine on February 24th. President Vladimir Putin called Russia’s actions a “special operation” aimed at demilitarizing Ukraine and clearing it from what it considers to be dangerous nationalists. Ukraine and the West say Putin has begun a war of aggression.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergeĭ Viklov and Ukraine’s Dmytro Kuleba met earlier this month in the Turkish resort Antalya, with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevrut Chabsogur also present. The discussion did not produce any concrete results.
However, Kabsogur, who also traveled to Russia and Ukraine last week for a meeting between Viklov and Kreva, told the Turkish daily Harriet that “there was a reconciliation on important subjects, both sides.” rice field.
“If both sides don’t step back from their current position, they’re hoping for a ceasefire,” he said without elaborating on the issue.
Turkish Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Karin spoke to Al Jazeera television, saying they are approaching four important issues. He quoted the ambition to join NATO, demilitarization, what Russia calls “denazification”, and Russia’s request to Ukraine to abandon the protection of the Russian language in Ukraine.
Ukraine and the Western nations dismissed Russia’s reference to “neonazis” in Ukraine’s democratically elected leadership as unfounded propaganda, and Karin said such references were offensive to Kyiv.
Kyiv and Moscow last week reported progress in negotiations towards a political formula to guarantee Ukraine’s security while keeping Ukraine’s security outside NATO, but both accused the other of pulling the matter.
Karin said a permanent ceasefire could only be achieved through a meeting between President Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. However, Putin said he felt that his position on the “strategic issues” of Crimea and Donbus was not close enough to the meeting.
Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in 2014, but part of the eastern industrial Donbus region was seized that year by Russian-backed separatists.
Turkey, a NATO member, shares a maritime boundary with Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea, has a good relationship with them, and offers to mediate between them.
It expressed support for Ukraine, but also opposed widespread western sanctions imposed on Moscow for aggression.
Turkey sold its drone to Ukraine and offended Moscow while building close ties with Russia on energy, defense and trade and relying heavily on Russian tourists.
Turkey also opposes Russia’s policies in Syria and Libya, and Moscow’s annexation of Crimea.
President Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly stated that Turkey will not abandon its ties with Russia and Ukraine, and that the ability to speak with both Ankara is an asset.
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