Ankara - Saba:
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated on Friday evening that Ankara will strive to achieve lasting peace between Russia and Ukraine, urging Moscow and Kyiv to continue negotiations.
According to Russia Today, President Erdoğan said he expects discussions on a ceasefire in Ukraine during the second round of talks in Istanbul.
The Turkish Presidency reported that Erdoğan spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky before the Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul, expressing hope for a meeting between the two leaders.
The same source indicated that the call addressed bilateral relations between Turkey and Ukraine, as well as regional and global developments.
The Turkish Presidency noted that Erdoğan expressed confidence that after the negotiations between delegations conclude, holding talks at the leadership level would benefit the peace process and should be done without delay.
Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan mentioned on Friday the possibility of a summit involving Turkish President Erdoğan, Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Ukrainian President Zelensky to reach a sustainable ceasefire in Ukraine.
In related news, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed resuming direct negotiations with Ukraine without preconditions in Istanbul on May 15, as stated by Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov.
Peskov emphasized that the goal of the proposed talks with Ukraine is to eliminate the root causes of the conflict and secure Russia’s interests.
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