Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he had telephone conversations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. The main topic of conversation was a possible end to the war and a diplomatic settlement of the conflict.
According to the Turkish leader, the conversation with Putin took place on May 11. The issues of cessation of hostilities were discussed, in particular. The next day, May 12, Erdogan had a telephone conversation with Zelensky. The Turkish president emphasized that Ankara is ready to act as a mediator in peace talks.
"We just held talks with Mr. Zelensky. We also talked about this with Mr. Trump last week. Turkey is ready to help stop the bloodshed through diplomacy," Erdogan said.
He also recalled March 2022, when the parties were, in his words, "very close" to peace, but the agreements collapsed due to the intervention of "warlords." Now, he said, there is an opportunity to resume the negotiation process in Istanbul, and Turkey is ready to welcome the parties to the negotiating table.
Zelensky confirmed this information and made his position public.
"We discussed key details of the meeting in Turkey, which could help end the war. I am grateful for the support and willingness to promote diplomacy at the highest level. We still see the need for a ceasefire," the President of Ukraine wrote.
He also noted that partners should ensure monitoring of the ceasefire, and confirmed that Ukraine is ready for direct talks with Putin. Zelensky stressed the importance of international unity on the issue of long-term security.
In addition, the head of state reacted to Donald Trump's possible visit to Turkey. In his opinion, these are "very important words" that could become the basis for a diplomatic breakthrough.
Recall that talks in Istanbul between representatives of Ukraine and Russia are scheduled for May 15, and Turkey is actively preparing to receive delegations. Ankara insists on the participation of Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustam Umerov, and the final decision on the composition of the Ukrainian delegation is still being discussed.
