Erdogan says efforts to end Ukraine war at 'turning point'
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday told Russian and French leaders that a "historic turning point" has been reached in efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war and that Ankara was ready to host talks between the two warring parties, his office said.
NATO member Turkey has sought to maintain good relations with both of its Black Sea neighbours since the Russian invasion began and has twice hosted talks aimed at ending the war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday he expected Moscow to commit to a 30-day ceasefire, adding that Kyiv was "ready" to meet Russia for direct truce talks if it did so.
His comments came after Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed direct negotiations with Ukraine on May 15 in Istanbul but did not address the 30-day ceasefire proposal.
Erdogan welcomed the Russian leader's statement that peace talks should resume in Istanbul where they left off, in a phone call with Putin on Sunday, his office announced.
He told Putin that "Turkey is ready to host negotiations aimed at achieving a lasting solution," according to his office.
Erdogan also said that "a window of opportunity has opened for reaching peace, and that achieving a comprehensive ceasefire would create the necessary environment for peace talks."
- 'Window of opportunity' -
The Turkish leader also spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron, who visited Kyiv on Saturday with the leaders of Germany, Britain and Poland.
The leaders of France, the UK, Germany and Poland pressured Russia -- with US President Donald Trump's support -- to commit to an unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine starting from Monday.
In a phone call, Erdogan told Macron that "a historic turning point has been reached in efforts to end the war between Ukraine and Russia, that this opportunity must be seized, and that Turkey is ready to provide all kinds of support, including hosting negotiations, to achieve a ceasefire and lasting peace," the Turkish presidency said.
Paris confirmed the phone call between the two leaders took place.
On May 5, Trump said he wanted to work with Erdogan to end the Ukraine war, after the two leaders spoke by telephone.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan took part in a meeting on Saturday of European countries supporting Ukraine.
According to a Turkish diplomatic source who wished to remain anonymous, Fidan said: "Turkey is ready to undertake its duty in observing the ceasefire if it is established."
fo/sbk
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Epoch Times
an hour ago
- Epoch Times
Putin Won't Stop at Ukraine, Says Chair of Joint Chiefs of Staff
Gen. Dan 'Razin' Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told senators on June 11 that he does not believe Russian President Vladimir Putin would stop at Ukraine if he succeeds in conquering the country. Caine made the comment during
New York Post
3 hours ago
- New York Post
Russia fired North Korean ballistic missiles at Ukraine in latest barrage, Zelensky says
Russia has been firing North Korean ballistic missiles against Kyiv in the deadly overnight barrages, the latest of which killed three people in Ukraine's second-largest city, officials said. The attack on Wednesday morning saw the Kremlin fire 85 drones and one missile across 14 locations over the border, with Kyiv identifying the rocket's origin as North Korean, similar to the ones fired during Monday's record-breaking airstrike. 'The Russians have once again used ballistic missiles from North Korea,' Ukrainian President Zelensky said of the attacks. Advertisement 4 A residential building in Kharkiv was hit by a Russian drone strike overnight. AP 4 A Ukrainian firefighter walks past a car destroyed by the Kremlin's attack on Wednesday. AFP via Getty Images 'We are also tracking evidence that Russian-Iranian drone technologies have spread to North Korea. This is extremely dangerous both for Europe and for East and Southeast Asia,' he added. Zelensky said that the longer the Russian invasion lasts, the more the Kremlin's war machine will evolve and prove to be a 'threat' to the West. Advertisement 'This must be addressed now — not when thousands of upgraded Shahed drones and ballistic missiles begin to threaten Seoul and Tokyo,' Zelensky warned North Korea's usual targets. The warning highlighted the growing military alliance between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, with UN officials finding that Pyongyang delivered as many as nine million rounds of artillery and rocket launcher ammunition to the Kremlin so far this year. 4 Officials said the overnight attack rocked Kharkiv with nine consecutive minutes of nonstop bombings. AP Advertisement 4 Ukraine warned that the military alliance between Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin is growing and could threaten Europe and Asia. AP Russia's plethora of drones and missiles have been used to relentlessly attack Ukraine, with more than 1,500 drones and missiles fired over the past week, the most intense airstrike campaign of the three-year war. Moscow's latest attack, significantly smaller than the ones of previous nights, was aimed at Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said the attack killed at least three people in the northeast city, with another 56 injured in the assault, which allegedly included Iranian-designed Shahed drones. Advertisement The attack also saw more than 103 residential buildings damaged in what officials said was nine minutes of non-stop bombings, with Terekhov describing the destruction as 'enormous.' Moscow had vowed to retaliate hard against Kyiv over the humiliating attack earlier this month that saw Ukrainian drones damage and destroy dozens of Russia's heavy bombers in 'Operation Spider Web.' With Post wires
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Zelensky accuses Russia of broader territorial aims at Odessa summit
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday accused Russia of pursuing wider territorial ambitions in Europe than it publicly admits. "Russian war plans point to this region – Odessa - and then toward the borders with Moldova and Romania," Zelensky said at the Ukraine-Southeast Europe Summit in the Black Sea port city. He said that Moscow seeks to sow chaos across the region to weaken Europe as a whole. Shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russian General Rustam Minnekayev declared that controlling southern Ukraine and securing a land corridor to the breakaway Moldovan region of Transnistria were among Moscow's war aims. The Kremlin has never formally confirmed those objectives. Zelensky warns of domino effect Zelensky said Russia's goals extend well beyond Ukraine. The Kremlin, he claimed, has stirred ethnic tensions in the Balkans, meddled in elections in Romania, and is attempting to regain influence over former Soviet republics such as Moldova. He warned that if pro-Russian forces win Moldova's parliamentary elections in September, it could embolden Moscow to deepen its interference in other European countries. The summit in Odessa was held to coordinate regional support for Ukraine and address wider security concerns. Zelensky renewed his calls for stronger air defences and political backing, including support for Ukraine's bid to join the European Union. He also posted a video on Telegram showing himself and several visiting leaders laying flowers for fallen Ukrainian soldiers.
